The Words

Name: The Words
Director: Brian Klugman, Lee Sternthal
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Released: 2012-01-01
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldaña, Jeremy Irons, Dennis Quaid, Olivia Wilde

When Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) publishes his first book it is that rare, once in a generation event that takes the literary world and the public imagination by storm. With a voice that’s fresh, and a wisdom about life that somehow seems to be timeless, Rory becomes an instant

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Top cast

7 people

Bradley Cooper

Zoe Saldaña

Jeremy Irons

Dennis Quaid

Olivia Wilde

J.K. Simmons

John Hannah

Movie OTT Editorial

1 min read · Published June 2, 2026

7.0/10

When Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper) publishes his first book it is that rare, once in a generation event that takes the literary world and the public imagination by storm.

With a voice that’s fresh, and a wisdom about life that somehow seems to be timeless, Rory becomes an instant literary star. The young author seems to have it all: a beautiful life, a loving wife (Zoë Saldana), the world at his fingertips—and it’s all because of his words. But whose words are they? And whose story is this, after all? At the height of his success, a mysterious Old Man (Jeremy Irons) tracks Rory down and confronts him with the revelation that he is the true author of the novel. The Old Man recounts the beautiful yet tragic memories of his own youth in post World War II Paris that led to the creation of the book. Seeing that another man has paid the price for the stories' truth and vision, Rory is left to confront the essential questions of creativity, ambition and the moral choices he has made at the mercy of these drives.