LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE
Do you take delight in watching films,
listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs,
and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You
can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of
wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.
#79. The Words (film, 2012)
An aspiring but
unsuccessful writer named Rory Jansen (played by Bradley Cooper) is struggling to
carry on his life, living happily with his girlfriend. One day, he happens to discover
an old manuscript hidden in a bag and mesmerized by the story. After nights of
tossing and turning, he publishes it as his own. The novel, The Window Tears,
becomes a huge success until its true author (played by Jeremy Irons) appears,
threatening to expose the truth. Meanwhile, writer Clayton Hammond (played by Dennis
Quaid) tells a story in his bestselling novel The Words that closely mirrors
Rory's, leaving readers to wonder whether it reflects Hammond's own life.
(an old
man came up to Rory sitting on the bench in a park and said): “It’s about a man
who wrote a book and then he lost it. A pissant kid found it, published it, and
became famous. End of story. We all make our choices in life. The hard thing to
do is live with them. You can’t slide out of it now. These are my words…my
stories.”
ð
The
old man confronts Rory with the truth, exposing the lie behind his success
without holding anything back. He reminds Rory that the plagiarism cannot be
undone and that the real punishment is living with the guilt and moral
consequences of his choices. Framed as a story within Clayton Hammond's novel,
The Words also blurs the line between fact and fiction, inviting us to reflect
on truth, integrity, and the price of ambition.
(the old
man talks about his story to Rory): “The words simply poured out of him. A
stream that he could not control. No question where they came from. The words
became form,…the form became whole…and after two weeks, it was finished.”
ð The
old man, the true author of the lost manuscript, recounts how the novel came to
be. He describes a powerful creative experience in which the words seemed to
flow through him effortlessly. His reflection captures the idea of a "flow
state" of a writer — those rare moments when writers feel less like they
are inventing a story and more like they are simply giving voice to one that
already exists.
(the old
man continues on his story): “For time, they tried to patch things up
together...but you can't erase the past, no matter how much you want to.”
ð
The
quote, spoken in the context of the Old Man’s marriage collapsing after the
loss of his child, mirror Rory’s inability to reverse his act of plagiarism. In
both stories, the characters confront the painful truth that certain choices
and losses leave lasting consequences that cannot be erased. The old man realized
that the loss of his child shattered his marriage in a way that could never be
repaired. No apology, explanation, or effort could restore what was already broken.
This emotional finality parallels his situation: once he claims another man’s
manuscript as his own, the act of plagiarism becomes irreversible. Even if the
truth is revealed, he cannot erase the deception or reclaim the innocence he
had before making that immoral choice.
** Jean’s Small Thoughts:
For anyone
who loves writing or earns a living through it, “The Words” is a deeply
thought-provoking film. Have you ever longed to create something that truly
touches another person's heart? Or felt discouraged because your words didn't
seem good enough?
Many writers,
whether aspiring or accomplished, eventually find themselves caught between
ambition and integrity. Sadly, some choose to borrow others' words and ideas as
if they were their own. Whenever I discover such cases, my first reaction is,
"What a sad thing." As the Old Man says in the film, someone who
steals another person's creation is nothing more than a "pissant"
thief. I pity them because their desperation blinds them to the truth. In
deceiving the world, they also deceive themselves, and they must carry that
burden of guilt for the rest of their lives.
Do you
believe you have a gift for words? If so, are you willing to patiently develop
your own voice? If not, would you be tempted to take a shortcut in pursuit of
recognition? I hope none of us ever sells our soul to the devil to become someone else.
Before we can truly touch other people's hearts, we must first learn to listen
to the voice within our own. That is how we find a path leading to the place
where we truly have a way with words.
No comments:
Post a Comment