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The Break-Up
Directed by: Peyton Reed
Starring: Jennifer Aniston
Genre:
Romance/Drama
Run Time: 105
min.
Release Date:
June 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
THE BREAK-UP is not
a comedy. You'll find very few laughs. But it is a somewhat touching
romantic drama with a surprisingly strong performance from Vince Vaughn
(WEDDING CRASHERS) and a fine job by Jennifer Aniston (RUMOR
HAS IT).
Gary Grobowski (Vaughn) and Brooke Meyers (Aniston) meet at a Chicago
baseball game and fall head-over-hearts for each other. They buy a condo
while their relationship punches ahead at full speed ...until the brakes
are applied with deadly force during a dinner with friends and family.
Gary forgot to buy enough lemons for the table display and all of the
irritants that have bothered both of them come tumbling forth.
As their relationship disintegrates, one-upmanship is employed by the
two fallen lovebirds; Gary buys a pool table for the dining room and
Brooke starts dating other men. Neither can afford to move out of the
condo so it is eventually put up for sale.
The relationship falls to such a level that it appears completely
unsalvageable. When Brooke extends an olive branch, it is unknowingly
knocked aside by Gary. And once Gary realizes that it was
an olive branch, it's too late to grasp.
Strong bit parts by the quirky Vincent D'Onofrio (THE CELL), Cole
Houser (PITCH BLACK) and Jason Bateman (DODGEBALL) help
pull this rather pedestrian dramatic film up a notch. Even Ann Margret (VIVA
LAS VEGAS) has a fleeting film moment that is noteworthy during the
infamous dinner scene.
The downside is that there's no hallelujah moment in the film, which is
somewhat of a letdown. While comparisons to THE WAR OF THE ROSES
(1989) are evident in the The Break-Up's premise, The War of
the Roses was most definitely a physical comedy with Michael Douglas
and Kathleen Turner doing horrible things to each other, trying to do
more bodily harm than psychological. In The Break-Up, Aniston's
and Vaughn's characters are still distantly in love and the harm comes
when each refuses to budge in order to get the relationship back on
track.
The drama of The Break-Up is almost dripping with subversive
anger as the two characters force friends to take sides, bitterly fight
over the smallest of tidbits, and generally run slipshod over their once
prosperous lives. And although we've seen similar films with similar
themes, the one thing that helped give this flick a more positive rating
was that it didn't slip into cliché at the end.
There is no happy ending for them. The question as to if they'll ever
get back together is left in the air, like so many true-life
relationships. That there is personal growth on both their parts (most
notably in Vaughn's character) is an added bonus that is touched on
toward the end.
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Image from The Break-Up
DVD cost: $14.99
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Newsworthy:
In the opening scene at
Wrigley Field, Jon Favreau makes a reference to going to "Wiener Circle"
for hot dogs after the game. Wiener Circle is a hot dog stand famous for
the staff yelling and cursing at you when you order. If you don't return
the favor, they won't take your order. Generally, though, this only
happens late at night on weekends.
Movie Quote: "Please
don't touch my Ruffles. Put that one back."
Other Actors/Actresses
from The Break-Up
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