Film Snail

6.1

A Thousand Words

PG-13·2012·91m

Drama

Comedy

Drama

Comedy

Summary

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.

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

Jill Basey

Woman in Starbucks

Greg Collins

Construction Worker

Robert LeQuang

Starbucks Customer

Michael G. Wilkinson

Starbucks Customer

Lyndsey Nelson

Starbucks Customer

Michael Cody Gilbert

Starbucks Customer

Lou Saliba

Shrink

Edi Patterson

Young Female Agent

John Gatins

Valet

Mitchell Fink

Male Agent

Tracy Mulholland

Young Student

Jack McBrayer

Starbucks' Barista

John Witherspoon

Blind Man

Leonard Earl Howze

Orderly

Bethany Dwyer

Mary

Sara Holden

Hostess

Lennie Loftin

Robert Gilmore

David Burke

Gil Reed

Jeff Kahn

Waiter

Matt Winston

Kid Space Teacher

Philip Pavel

Overly Enthused Dad

Raquel Bell

Kid Space Mom

Phil Reeves

Don Parker

Kamala Jones

Hotel Employee

Kaius Harrison

Rotund Man

Brian Gallivan

Tony

Steven M. Gagnon

Ira

Katheryn Cain

Katie

Lauren Schuchman

Waitress

Jane Bartelme

Nun

Darcy Rose Byrnes

10 Year Old Girl

Eshaya Draper

Young Jack

Sarah Scott Davis

Young Annie

Floyd Levine

Man on Pier

Bunny Levine

Woman on Pier

Brian R. Norris

Steven

Ariel Winter

Lila (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Brian Robbins

Writer

Steve Koren

Reviews

RalphRahal

February 13, 2025

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.