The DVD has an extra that I found as compelling as the movie itself. It turns out writer/director Brian Klugman (nephew of Jack Klugman) and star Bradley Cooper (who also acted as producer) were close friends since growing up together in Philadelphia. They have had this story on their personal radars since around 1999. There always was an intention to turn it into a movie, and Cooper remembers regretting that he would not have a chance to be in it (too young, not well-know yet). But as fate would have it, and the passage of time, they made this movie and Bradley Cooper stars in it. Quite a good movie, too.
The story begins with Dennis Quaid as popular and successful author Clay Hammond showing up at an event of his, to read from his latest book. The book was about an author who was so far unsuccessful selling his work. He was married, happily, but he was becoming discouraged and still occasionally borrowing money from his dad to pay the rent.
The story dissolves as Clay speaks to show Bradley Cooper as Rory Jansen and Zoe Saldana as his wife Dora, getting into a car in the pouring rain, and Jeremy Irons simply as 'The Old Man ' is watching them from near the exit of the building. Rory is now a successful author, but The Old Man knows his secret. Because Rory's successful book, a touching story set in post-war France was written by the Old Man, the manuscript was lost when a leather satchel with it was accidentally left on the train by his young wife all those years ago. And in current time Rory found it in an antique shop in Paris, the yellowed type-written manuscript was hidden inside. Rory could never come up with such a touching story, nor the beautiful words, he simply re-typed it word-for-word and sold it as his own creation.
Had it not been for the Old Man now living in New York, and happening to see the book in a store window, then reading it, Rory's secret might have never been exposed. But when it was there was much anguish to deal with, both within himself and with his wife.
SPOILERS: So what we are seeing is three movies folded into one. The story of the young couple in Paris in the late 1940s, and the story he wrote of their life. The story of Rory and his dealing with the manuscript he discovered. And Clay telling the story, which by the end we figure is actually about his own life, that he became a famous author by publishing a manuscript that he found. And the overall moral is that each of us runs up against things in our lives that may not be ideal, but somehow we have to get past it and deal with it. The Old Man didn't want anything, no money nor public admission by Rory, just that Rory needed to live with the burden that someone else's WORDS made him successful.
The story begins with Dennis Quaid as popular and successful author Clay Hammond showing up at an event of his, to read from his latest book. The book was about an author who was so far unsuccessful selling his work. He was married, happily, but he was becoming discouraged and still occasionally borrowing money from his dad to pay the rent.
The story dissolves as Clay speaks to show Bradley Cooper as Rory Jansen and Zoe Saldana as his wife Dora, getting into a car in the pouring rain, and Jeremy Irons simply as 'The Old Man ' is watching them from near the exit of the building. Rory is now a successful author, but The Old Man knows his secret. Because Rory's successful book, a touching story set in post-war France was written by the Old Man, the manuscript was lost when a leather satchel with it was accidentally left on the train by his young wife all those years ago. And in current time Rory found it in an antique shop in Paris, the yellowed type-written manuscript was hidden inside. Rory could never come up with such a touching story, nor the beautiful words, he simply re-typed it word-for-word and sold it as his own creation.
Had it not been for the Old Man now living in New York, and happening to see the book in a store window, then reading it, Rory's secret might have never been exposed. But when it was there was much anguish to deal with, both within himself and with his wife.
SPOILERS: So what we are seeing is three movies folded into one. The story of the young couple in Paris in the late 1940s, and the story he wrote of their life. The story of Rory and his dealing with the manuscript he discovered. And Clay telling the story, which by the end we figure is actually about his own life, that he became a famous author by publishing a manuscript that he found. And the overall moral is that each of us runs up against things in our lives that may not be ideal, but somehow we have to get past it and deal with it. The Old Man didn't want anything, no money nor public admission by Rory, just that Rory needed to live with the burden that someone else's WORDS made him successful.