Themes: Breakups and Divorces, Battle of the Sexes, Feuds
Main Cast: Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Ann-Margret, Jason Bateman
Release Year: 2006
Country: US
Run Time: 106 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG13
Plot
A once-loving Chicago couple whose happily-ever-after quickly turned into a never-again finds their crumbling romance complicated when both parties refuse to move out of the pair's recently purchased condo. The Break-Up is a romantic comedy that starts where all the others end. The future once looked promising for thirtysomething couple Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) and Gary (Vince Vaughn), but lately it seems like a series of increasingly petty and intolerable squabbles have snuffed any semblance of romance in their relationship. Their confrontation endlessly fueled by mean-spirited suggestions of revenge tactics from friends and family and their stubborn refusal to budge resulting in an excruciating stalemate, Brooke and Gary ultimately decide to spitefully stick it out as hostile roommates until the weaker party eventually admits defeat. As the competition to drive one another out grows increasingly intense and outrageous, however, Brooke eventually comes to the realization that she's not fighting for possession of the condominium as much as she is fighting to salvage her relationship with the man she once viewed as the love of her life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review
Peyton Reed's The Break-Up earns its title honestly. The screenplay, the actors, and the director have succeeded in capturing an ugly, pedestrian break-up between two very average emotionally stunted people. The scenes that deal dramatically, rather than humorously, with the situation actually are the strongest elements of the film. The huge verbal blow-out between the two at the beginning of the film, and the scene where they "discuss" with their realtor who should keep the spacious Chicago apartment they rent together, offer ample evidence that there was a very good film that could have been made from this material. Both Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn are willing to keep the least attractive elements of their characters front and center for most of the film. Sadly, these strengths are also the film's weakness. As good as Vaughn and Aniston are, it is hard to shake the feeling that these performers, both quite obviously in their mid-thirties at least, are too old for these roles. However, casting younger actors in the parts would have made the fact that they share an expensive Chicago apartment all the more unbelievable. Their particular problems are also so universal as to seem almost mundane. An audience member would be hard-pressed to like or root for either of them, as both of the characters lack a level of maturity that most people attain by that age. The characters may learn something about themselves, but where The Break-Up ultimately fails despite its good qualities is that the average viewer is not likely to identify with either character enough to learn anything about themselves. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Judy Davis - Marilyn Dean; Vincent D'Onofrio - Dennis Grabowski; Jon Favreau - Johnny O; Cole Hauser - Lupus Grabowski; John Michael Higgins - Richard Meyers; Justin Long - Christopher; Ivan Sergei - Carson Wigham; Vernon Vaughn - Howard Meyers; Elaine Robinson - Carol Grabowski; Jane Alderman - Mrs. Grabowski; Jacqueline Williams - Shondra; Peter Billingsley - Andrew; Jane Hu - Diane; Rebecca Spence - Jen; Mary-Pat Green - Mischa; Keir O'Donnell - Date, Paul; Geoff Stults - Date, Mike; Tiffany Addison - Waitress; Jessica Vilchis - Hot Girl; Lisa Pace - Hot Girl; Samantha Albert - Debbie; Susan Messing - Tourist; Wayne A. Brown - Tourist; Maynard Love - Tourist; William Dick - Waiter; Jenna Hurt - Poker Girl; Jessica Stramer - Poker Girl; Ashley Giancola - Poker Girl; Lanae Sahs - Poker Girl; Nydia Rodriguez Terracina - Boat Tourist; Phil Ridarelli - Boat Tourist; Sharon Vaughn - Boat Tourist; Rhett Miller - Old 97's; Murry Hammond - Old 97's; Ken Bethea - Old 97's; Philip Peeples - Old 97's; Gunnar Madsen - Tone Rangers; Karl Solis - Tone Ranger; Michael Winther - Tone Ranger; Eric Bradley - Tone Ranger; Paul Peterson - Tone Ranger; Sean P. Gorecki - Tone Rangers; Eddie Martinez - Hot Dog Vendor; Chuck Stubbings - County Clubber; Ryan Cowhey - Andrew Jr; Megan Klein - Sally; Trisha 'Star' Vargo - Riv Bartender; Julie Adrianson Neary - Riv Ticket Taker; Linda Cohn - ESPN Voiceover
Credit
David Sandefur - Art Director, Victoria Vaughn - Associate Producer, John Isbell - Associate Producer, Jeanne McCarthy - Casting, Juel Bestrop - Casting, Mickey Paskal - Casting, Jennifer Rudnicke - Casting, Michelle Johnston - Choreography, Jay Lavender - Co-producer, Jeremy Garelick - Co-producer, Carol Oditz - Costume Designer, Todd Michael Amateau - First Assistant Director, Peyton Reed - Director, Nina Jack - Second Unit Director, David Rosenbloom - Editor, Dan Lebental - Editor, Peter Billingsley - Executive Producer, Stuart M. Besser - Executive Producer, Al Nolan-Cohn - Location Manager, Jon Brion - Composer (Music Score), John O'Brien - Musical Direction/Supervision, Chelo Ontiveros - Makeup, George Kohut - Camera Operator, Peter Rosenfeld - Camera Operator, Jody Williams - Camera Operator, Andrew Laws - Production Designer, Eric Edwards - Cinematographer, Stuart M. Besser - Producer, Scott Stuber - Producer, Vince Vaughn - Producer, Stephanie Gilliam - Set Designer, Cameron Frankley - Sound/Sound Designer, Joe Bucaro III - Stunts Coordinator, Stuart M. Besser - Unit Production Manager, Vince Vaughn - Screen Story, Jay Lavender - Screen Story, Jeremy Garelick - Screen Story, Jay Lavender - Screenwriter, Jeremy Garelick - Screenwriter, Jody Williams - Second Unit Director Of Photography, John O'Brien - Additional Music, Greg Morgenstern - Additional Music, Dick Oakes - Gaffer, Jon Brion - Music Producer, Sean Stratton - Post Production Supervisor, Mitchell Dauterive - Production Supervisor, William Dambra - Properties Master, Steve Pederson - Re-Recording Mixer, Brad Sherman - Re-Recording Mixer, Sheila G. Waldron - Script Supervisor, John D. Milinac - Special Effects Coordinator, Peter Rosenfeld - Steadicam Operator, Bruce DiValerio - Construction Coordinator, Joyce Kogut - Costumes Supervisor, Lori Scowley - Production Accountant, Syd Dutton - Visual Effects, Bill Taylor - Visual Effects, Daniel Clancy - Set Decorator, John Pritchett - Production Sound Mixer, William Kennedy - Special Effects Foreman, Dominic Mango - Department Head Hair, Suzie Ostos - Department Head Makeup
A bickering couple, immature, irresponsible Gary (Vaughn) and controlling, perfectionist Brooke (Aniston), live in a condo in Chicago. Both are driven in their careers, with Gary working as a partner and tour guide in his brothers' booming tour business and Brooke working in an art gallery. Early in the movie, they separate after a bitter argument. Their conflicts are largely due to Gary's immaturity and inflexibility, and Brooke's perfectionism and controlling nature.
Their social backgrounds contribute to the division that becomes apparent between them. Brooke has applied feng shui books from her mother in the interior design of her and Gary's condo; her brother Richard is part of an a cappella group called The Tone Rangers; her friend Addie uses phrases of advice such as "Remember, we're always owning our actions, right? And we're always healthy with it, yes?"; and Brooke bemoans how many times she has dropped "hints about the ballet" to Gary, but to no avail. By contrast, Gary likes action-oriented teen video games, is an avid Chicago sports fan, and wants a pool table in the condo. The condo ends up becoming the subject of a war in which both try to outwit and outdo each other through blind dates, drunken parties, and broken promises.
In the end, they agree to separate, both giving up the condo, taking their share of the money from its sale and moving on with their lives. After learning through a real-estate agent friend that a buyer has been found and that they have two weeks to move out, Brooke invites Gary to an Old 97's concert for which she had previously bought tickets for the two of them. Gary agrees to meet her there, but instead intentionally stands her up, and heads to his friend Johnny O's bar, making Brooke upset to the point of crying. In spite of a subsequent effort by Gary to reach out to Brooke by preparing a surprise dinner in the condo, their breakup has become inevitable.
Gary, realizing what he has lost, returns to his tour business while Brooke travels the world, eventually finding her way back to Chicago. At the end of the movie, they meet again by chance on the streets of Chicago. After some awkward but friendly catching up, they part ways but catch each other glancing over their shoulders and share a smile.
The original ending was not well received with a test audience, and as a result Universal Studios had to re-shoot. According to the Chicago Tribune, "the first ending made basically the same point in a slightly different way".[citation needed] The romance/comedy film has grossed over $203 million worldwide, with a total of $118,703,275 in the American box-office.
What do you get when you fall in love?You only get lies and pain and sorrow;So for at least until tomorrow,I'll never fall in love again.
- Burt Bacharach
What do you get when you fall in love?You only get lies and pain and sorrow;So for at least until tomorrow,I'll never fall in love again.
