the buzz log

"Seven Pounds," a heavily hyped movie that opens this weekend, stars Will Smith as an IRS agent with an ominous secret. The trailer alludes to the mysterious plot twist, and those tantalizing breadcrumbs have searchers going wild, seeking clues as to what the movie's main character is hiding.

Over the past week, we've seen a tremendous number of searches on "seven pounds spoilers," "seven pounds secret," and "what is seven pounds plot." And that ain't all. There are additional lookups on "seven pounds reviews," "seven pounds synopsis," and "seven pounds wiki." Folks are either moved by the three-hankie trailer, or are simply annoyed by the teasing and want to know the big secret.

So, what's the twist? Does Will Smith see dead people? Was his sled named Rosebud? Is he tormented because some jerk named Darth Vader was his papa? We've no idea, but the comments section of this Defamer article is full of interesting theories. Some suggest the title may allude to Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," while others predict it has something to do with a space shuttle accident. For anyone who simply must know, the critics from the New York Post recently pseudo-spoiled the secret in a run-down of the year's best films. (Hint: It has nothing to do with soylent green.)

Of course, anybody who wants to know more details need only search for "what is seven pounds ending" and, we assume, all their questions will be answered. Here's hoping the actual conclusion matches viewers' expectations. Moviegoers don't mind being teased, so long as they're rewarded with a good story.