The two stars remain painfully wrong for each other
The Break-Up (2006)
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Reviews Counted:184
Fresh:61
Rotten:123
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: This anti-romantic comedy lacks both laughs and insight, resulting in an odd and unsatisfying experience.
Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for sexual content, some nudity and language
Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:Jun 2, 2006 Wide
Box Office: $118,683,135
Synopsis: Despite its seemingly classic date-movie setup, THE BREAK UP bucks romantic comedy tradition at almost every turn. Gary (Vince Vaughn) and Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) are a mismatched couple who... Despite its seemingly classic date-movie setup, THE BREAK UP bucks romantic comedy tradition at almost every turn. Gary (Vince Vaughn) and Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) are a mismatched couple who meet, develop a seemingly contented relationship, and buy a beautiful condo together within the movie's first few minutes. Soon an all-too-believable fight triggers the title event, and they spend the rest of the movie alternately arguing and playing mind games as they battle over ownership of their beloved condo--and try to decide whether or not they really want this to be the end. In one of the movie's more dangerous yet courageous twists, neither Vaughn nor Aniston play especially likable characters. They never become unpleasant to watch, though, thanks largely to their formidable reservoirs of charisma. Vaughn is a master of the unkempt, immature, and hilarious everyman (OLD SCHOOL, THE WEDDING CRASHERS), while Aniston radiates bewildered decency, even in prickly roles (THE GOOD GIRL, FRIENDS WITH MONEY). Both of them are engaging presences, even when the movie veers away from comedy and into a kind of painful realism, as Gary and Brooke get caught up in a bitter and mean-spirited cycle of fighting that neither of them can win. The script's few weak patches are usually saved by the tremendous supporting cast, including ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT's Jason Bateman as the couple's realtor, Judy Davis as Brooke's boss, John Michael Higgins as her irrepressible, sexually ambiguous brother, and Jon Favreau as Gary's best friend, in scenes that effortlessly recapture some of the duo's SWINGERS chemistry. Peyton Reed, the director of the underrated DOWN WITH LOVE, isn't afraid to make his romantic comedy both unromantic and, occasionally, depressingly truthful, but thanks to the group of actors assembled here, watching a relationship unravel has rarely been more enjoyable. [More]
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Bateman
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Vince Vaughn, Joey Lauren Adams, Jason Bateman, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jon Favreau, Cole Hauser, Judy Davis, John Michael Higgins, Ann-Margret, Peter Billingsley
Director: Peyton Reed
Director: Peyton Reed
Screenwriter: Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender
Story: Vince Vaughn
Producer: Vince Vaughn, Jay Lavender, Jeremy Garelick
Composer: Jon Brion
Studio: Universal Pictures
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Reviews for The Break-Up
"The Break-Up" comes with a slap and a kiss that's at once bracing and pleasing.
A word of caution to anyone heading off to see The Break-Up with the assumption that it is a romantic comedy: this is not a comedy movie with a serious side -- it is a serious movie with a comedic side.
Stereotypes across the board, puerile one-upmanship games, and an utter failure to explain why, indeed, these two even were together.
"The Break-Up": A brilliantly uncompromising, often harsh but very accurate examination of a relationship unraveling
High-aimed intentions are thrown askew by the reliance on inconsistent laughs seemingly meant to break the otherwise overriding tension.
Right up there with the best of the revenge genre, and earns praise from this critic for its sophisticated brand of humor which kept me in stitches from start to finish.
Not even the tacked-on ending, hinting at some future sparks between Brooke and Gary, can lighten the sturm und drang in this break-up.
..."The Break Up" may go down with "Fatal Attraction" as the worst "date" movie of all time.
There's nothing broken about The Break-Up, which turns rom-com conventions on their side in free-wheeling fashion, and in doing so colorfully, wittily celebrates what it is about men and women that both attract one another and drives us crazy.
[I]t combines a naked desire to please the audience with a try-anything approach of the kind that made Wedding Crashers such a desperate stab at entertainment.
It's still very much a quick and painless Hollywood production, what slight genius there is in its premise dulled by the sheen of the high production values and its prettier-than-pretty cast.
It's never less than entertaining and the chemistry between our two leads, whatever their personal circumstances, really holds things together.
This is that branch of the romantic comedy known as 'a relationship movie', but generally short on witty lines and amusing incidents.
Latest News for The Break-Up
February 08, 2009:
DreamWorks and Universal Sever Ties ![]()
DreamWorks and Universal have broken their seven-year distribution agreement, citing "business interests" that were "no longer in alignment" and sending DreamWorks to Disney. More...
July 24, 2008:
Hollywood's Most Valuable Actor: Vince Vaughn? ![]()
Forbes has compiled a list of the most cost-effective actors in Hollywood, determining who gives the studios the most bang for their buck -- and Vince Vaughn is at the top of... More...
July 30, 2007:
Through Bergman's Past, Brightly
With the passing of Ingmar Bergman Monday, the world of cinema lost one of its most unique and important voices. Thus, we at Rotten Tomatoes decided to pick our favorite Bergman... More...
July 25, 2007:
Jim Carrey Signs On to Be a Yes Man
Anyone who just got done sitting through the Number 23 DVD is probably wondering what happened to the silly Jim Carrey. Well, it looks like he'll be back in Peyton Reed's Yes Man. More...
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