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    The Secret Life of Words

    • 20052005
    • Not RatedNot Rated
    • 1h 55min
    IMDb RATING
    7.4/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • Trivia
    • IMDbPro
    The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    DramaRomance

    A hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.A hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.A hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.A hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.A hearing impaired factory worker gives up her first holiday in years and instead travels out to an oil rig, where she cares for a man suffering from severe burns.

    • Director
      • Isabel Coixet
    • Writer
      • Isabel Coixet
    • Stars
      • Sarah Polley
      • Tim Robbins
      • Sverre Anker Ousdal
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Isabel Coixet
    • Writer
      • Isabel Coixet
    • Stars
      • Sarah Polley
      • Tim Robbins
      • Sverre Anker Ousdal
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 56User reviews
    • 68Critic reviews
    • 68Metascore
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 25 wins & 15 nominations

    Photos47

    Isabel Coixet at an event for The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Isabel Coixet at an event for The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Isabel Coixet at an event for The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Isabel Coixet at an event for The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Scott Wolf at an event for The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Scott Wolf at an event for The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Sarah Polley in The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Tim Robbins and Sarah Polley in The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    Sarah Polley in The Secret Life of Words (2005)
    The Secret Life of Words (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Sarah Polley
    Sarah Polley
    • Hannaas Hanna
    Tim Robbins
    Tim Robbins
    • Josefas Josef
    Sverre Anker Ousdal
    Sverre Anker Ousdal
    • Dimitrias Dimitri
    Javier Cámara
    Javier Cámara
    • Simonas Simon
    Danny Cunningham
    • Scottas Scott
    Dean Lennox Kelly
    Dean Lennox Kelly
    • Liamas Liam
    • (as Dean Lenox Kelly)
    Daniel Mays
    Daniel Mays
    • Martinas Martin
    Emmanuel Idowu
    • Abdulas Abdul
    Eddie Marsan
    Eddie Marsan
    • Victoras Victor
    Steven Mackintosh
    Steven Mackintosh
    • Doctor Sulitzeras Doctor Sulitzer
    Julie Christie
    Julie Christie
    • Ingeas Inge
    Reg Wilson
    Reg Wilson
    • Factory Manageras Factory Manager
    Leonor Watling
    Leonor Watling
    • Josef's Friend's Wifeas Josef's Friend's Wife
    Daphne Brown
    • Old Lady on Busas Old Lady on Bus
    Muriel Hobson
    • Old Lady on Busas Old Lady on Bus
    Joshua Miligan
    • Childas Child
    • (as Joshua Milligan)
    Sheelagh Smith
    • Childas Child
    Nina Marléne
    • Director
      • Isabel Coixet
    • Writer
      • Isabel Coixet
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Hannah, who wears a hearing aid, is forced to go on holiday. On holiday she manages to find a job: caring for Josef, a burn victim on an oil rig who temporarily lost his sight, until he's stable enough to be transferred. There is almost no one on the rig, except a cook, an oceanographer and a few others out at sea. Hannah tends to Josef and he slowly breaks her shell of silence. —Yonatan Doron (jrd@netvision.net.il)
    oil rigburn victimyugoslav warsunfaithfulnessfather son relationship123 more
    • Plot summary
    • Plot synopsis
    • Genres
      • Drama
      • Romance
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The story about a nurse named Cora that Josef tells to Hanna is a short-story named "La señorita Cora" by argentinean writer Julio Cortázar from his book "Todos los fuegos el fuego".
    • Goofs
      In order to fly out to the rig, Hanna would have had to do a three-day off-shore survival course. There seems to be no indication that she does this in the film.
    • Quotes

      Josef: I thought um, you and I, maybe we could go away somewhere. Together. One of these days. Today. Right now. Come with me.

      Hanna: No, I don't think that's going to be possible.

      Josef: Why not?

      Hanna: Um, because I think that if we go away to someplace together, I'm afraid that, ah, one day, maybe not today, maybe, maybe not tomorrow either, but one day suddenly, I may begin to cry and cry so very much that nothing or nobody can stop me and the tears will fill the room and I won't be able to breath and I will pull you down with me and we'll both drown.

      Josef: I'll learn how to swim, Hanna. I swear, I'll learn how to swim.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Mr. Nobody (2009)
    • Soundtracks
      Forever Now and Then
      Written by Eef Barzelay

      Performed by Clem Snide

    User reviews56

    Review
    Top review
    What a wonderful movie
    I have seen the movie and I have to say its just beautiful, no its not the slow, easy going romantic love story....it is difficult, critical and poetic. there is no action, its just about those 2 people, who are lonely, and experienced things in their lives nobody could imagine. this movie makes you think, think about your life, about your love about the world.

    i can recommend it to everybody, who likes little quiet movies, which touch you go watch it, the 2 main actors are brilliant. sarah polley plays here role, with a heartbreaking truth, tim robbins (susan sarandons husband) does a great job as well.
    helpful•45
    14
    • katkat00
    • Nov 4, 2005

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 21, 2005 (Spain)
    • Countries of origin
      • Spain
      • Ireland
    • Official sites
      • Mongrel Media (Canada)
      • Official site (Spain)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Danish
    • Also known as
      • La vida secreta de las palabras
    • Filming locations
      • Bilbao, Bilbao, Vizcaya, País Vasco, Spain
    • Production companies
      • El Deseo
      • Hotshot Films
      • Mediapro
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,678
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $5,309
      • Dec 17, 2006
    • Gross worldwide
      • $6,410,058
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 55min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    New Titles Hitting the Market at Malaga’s Spanish Screenings
    New Titles Hitting the Market at Malaga’s Spanish Screenings
    Nov 17Variety Film + TV
    ‘The Bookshop’ Helmer Isabel Coixet Accepts Spain’s National Cinematography Prize, Advises Young Filmmakers
    ‘The Bookshop’ Helmer Isabel Coixet Accepts Spain’s National Cinematography Prize, Advises Young Filmmakers
    Sep 19Variety Film + TV

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