A THOUSAND WORDS
US, 2012, 91 minutes, Colour.
Eddie Murphy, Kerry Washington, Cliff Curtis, Clark Duke, Allison Janney.
Directed by Brian Robbins.
A Thousand Words is one of the many Eddie Murphy comedies made in the first decade of the 21st century, but failing to have great success for Murphy at the box office. He made his mark in the 1980s with such films as Beverly Hills Cop and Trading Places, Coming to America… He also appeared in a number of action and police films including Metro, I Spy…
However, after Pluto Nash, which received very bad reviews, he appeared in a range of films which had only moderate success and went straight to video or DVD.
This film was one of them. He uses his exuberant and sometimes over-the-top style in portraying an agent who wants to get a deal for a book by a guru, going to his course, discussing with the guru, and discovering that the book has only five pages. In the meantime, a Bhodil tree appears unexpectedly in his garden. It emerges that it will lose a leaf for every word he speaks, writes, or communicates. This has quite an effect on him; his wife and son leave; he is unable to finalise the contracts; he is fired. The guru himself seems unable to help.
The film is serious in its presentation of the mute agent, though there is comedy in ways that he tries to stop himself speaking, as well as the way in which his assistant tries to emulate him. However, with some sentiment, he comes to examine his life, let go of his anger against his father, and face the reality of his life, getting a new tree with many leaves at the end.
The films directed by Brian Robbins had directed several of the latter day Eddie Murphy vehicles, Norbit and Meet Dave.
1. An Eddie Murphy film? His career, popularity, decline at the box office? His style of comedy? Mugging, jokes, touches of coarseness, egotistical characters? This film and its touches of seriousness and sentiment?
2. The title, the plot, Jack and his use of words, having to be silent, careful about word choice, communication? A picture worth 1000 words?
3. The locations, the American city, the world of advertising and agents, homes, offices, homes for the elderly, locations for gurus? Audiences identifying with this world? The musical score?
4. A film of magical realism? The realism of the home and the marriage, family? The wife wanting to move to a better home? The agent having his office at home? The world of the agency? Transition to the episode with the guru, the clients and their experiences? Jack and his trying to persuade the guru for the book? The reality of the business meetings and sales? But the magic with the effect on Jack? His losing his life? The appearance of the tree in the garden? Losing its leaves with every word he spoke? His attempts to stop speaking and communicating? The leaves falling at every word? The fewer leaves and the effect?
5. The film’s comment on Americans, new age interests, crews and their wisdom, exercises, books? The book of the journey?
6. The portrait of the family, Jack’s love for his wife, her concerns, Tyler and his life, Jack’s love for him? His wife moving out, the comedy of the sexy scene in the hotel, Jack unable to speak about his love? The end, the new house, the happy ever after for the family?
7. His mother, and the home, thinking he was her husband, the husband having left when Jack was a boy? The pathos of the scenes between the two? His going to see his mother at the end, her long talk to her husband and the reason that he left, the effect on Jack, her talking in praise of her son, her recognising him? Going to the cemetery, the headstones, the imagination of himself as a child, with his father, the consequences for his life and death, for reuniting with his son and his wife?
8. His assistant, a character, officious to Jack, imitating him, his various faux pas, taking over from Jack, speaking for Jack, his bravado and imitation of Jack and its failures? The and, with the book, with the guru, with the clothes and ornaments from the east, the leaves, telling Jack that there was a new tree? For the leaves?
9. The man serving the coffee, trying to interpret Jack’s meanings, the big bill for all the coffees et cetera, Jack’s return, finally giving the man the gift of the record? The valet parking man and his manuscript, Jack putting him off, Jack not being a reader, explaining to his assistant to look to the first pages and the last? Finally reading the manuscript and praising the man and his work, the advance?
10. The phone calls and meetings with different agents, the deals, persuasion?
11. The guru, in himself, seeing him with his clients, the exercises? Talking with Jack? The book of his journey? Brief? Jack, the personalities of the buyers and editors and the deals? The bluffs at the meeting, the phone calls, big money?
12. Samantha Davis, in the office, dealing with Jack, going to the restaurant, her laughing at his story, firing him?
13. The parents of the tree, the response of the gardener, Jack’s response? His experiencing whatever happened to the tree, posing, heating…?
14. The comedy in the various attempts Jack went to to stop speaking, yet his exasperation and bursting out, not being able to write? Trying the various signs like charades and people’s failing to understand him?
15. Jack having to think into his own life, solve all the negativity, let go of his anger with his father, go to his mother, love his wife, care for his son, not be so materialistic - and making sure his assistant didn’t get his own tree, which, at the end, he did?
