A Thousand Words

"He only has 1000 words left to discover what matters the most."

2012 1h 31m EN

😐

6.1

MID

★6.1TMDB · 1,453

DramaComedyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

“He only has 1000 words left to discover what matters the most.”

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Cast

Eddie Murphy
Jack McCall
Kerry Washington
Caroline McCall
Cliff Curtis
Dr. Sinja
Clark Duke
Aaron Wiseberger
Allison Janney
Samantha Davis
Emanuel Ragsdale
Tyler McCall
Ruby Dee
Annie McCall
Alain Chabat
Christian Leger de la Touffe

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Brian Robbins
Writers: Steve Koren
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 55% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Brian Robbins, shot by Clark Mathis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Debney. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ned Bastille shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Eddie Murphy and Kerry Washington and Cliff Curtis carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He only has 1000 words left to discover what matters the most.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0763831 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Brian Robbins directs. Clark Mathis behind the camera. John Debney scores. Ned Bastille cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 55% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 14 years ago.
3Directed by Brian Robbins, shot by Clark Mathis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by John Debney. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ned Bastille shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Eddie Murphy and Kerry Washington and Cliff Curtis carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "He only has 1000 words left to discover what matters the most.".
8IMDB entry: tt0763831 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Clark Mathis
Original score: John Debney
Editing: Ned Bastille
Production design: Clay A. Griffith
Costume design: Mary E. Vogt
Makeup / hair: Camille Friend
VFX supervisor: Ray McIntyre Jr.
Stunt coordinator: Lance Gilbert
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $40,000,000
Box office: $22,044,277
Return: 55% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: A Thousand Words (2012)

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Brian Robbins

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Community reviews

What people are saying

RalphRahal2025-02-13
★ 4/10
A Thousand Words has a solid premise that could have been something special, but the execution feels shallow. The plot is unique and had the potential to explore deeper themes, but instead, it plays things too safe, relying on surface-level humor and predictable emotional beats. The directing feels uninspired, and while the pacing is decent, it never fully leans into the weight of its own concept. Cinematography is standard, nothing particularly memorable, and the visual storytelling doesn’t do much to enhance the narrative. Eddie Murphy delivers a good performance, especially given how much he has to rely on physical expressions rather than dialogue, but the script lets him down. The writing lacks depth, missing opportunities to make the story more impactful. The comedy is fine, though nothing standout, and while there are moments of emotional sincerity, they don’t hit as hard as they should. The soundtrack is forgettable, doing just enough to support the scenes without adding much character. Overall, it’s an easy watch, but knowing how much more it could have been makes it feel like a missed opportunity.

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