The Break Up

''The Break-Up'' is a 2006 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Peyton Reed, based on a story by Jay Lavender, Jeremy Garelick, and Vince Vaughn, with a screenplay by Lavender and Garelick. The film stars Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston and was produced by Universal Pictures.

''The Break-Up'' was released in the United States on June 2, 2006, by Universal Pictures. It received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, who criticized its inconsistent tone but praised the chemistry between Vaughn and Aniston. Despite the reviews, the film was a commercial success, grossing approximately $205 million worldwide against a production budget of $52 million.

Plot

Gary Grobowski and Brooke Meyers meet at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game and begin a relationship, eventually purchasing a condominium together. Gary works as a tour guide for a family-owned business operated with his brothers, Lupus and Dennis, while Brooke manages an art gallery owned by eccentric artist Marilyn Dean.

Tensions in their relationship escalate over time. Brooke, feeling unappreciated, criticizes Gary for his perceived immaturity and unwillingness to address their issues. Gary, in turn, expresses frustration with Brooke's controlling and perfectionistic behavior, desiring more independence after work. The conflict culminates when Gary fails to offer assistance in cleaning up after a dinner party. Feeling neglected, Brooke ends the relationship despite still harboring feelings for him. Brooke seeks advice from her friend Addie, while Gary confides in his friend Johnny.

Unable to agree on who should vacate the condominium, they continue living together as roommates, each engaging in increasingly provocative behavior to irritate the other. Gary purchases a pool table, leaves food and trash around the condo, and hosts a strip poker party. Brooke retaliates by removing Gary from their couples-only bowling team and dating other men in an attempt to provoke jealousy.

After their friend and realtor Mark successfully sells the condominium, Gary and Brooke are given two weeks' notice to vacate. Brooke invites Gary to attend a concert by the Old 97's, intending it as a final opportunity to reconcile. Gary fails to recognize the significance of the gesture and misses the event, landing Brooke in tears and a broken heart. She accuses him of not appreciating her efforts, while Gary counters that she was unclear about her expectations. Johnny later points out to Gary that his selfish and emotionally distant behavior contributed to the collapse of their relationship.

Brooke subsequently resigns from her position at the art gallery and travels through Europe. Returning one evening, she finds Gary preparing a formal dinner at the condominium in an attempt to reconcile. Gary expresses remorse and pledges to be more appreciative, but Brooke, though touched by the gesture, declines, feeling it is too late to repair the relationship.

Following their move from the condominium, Gary takes a more active role in managing the family business, while Brooke continues her travels before ultimately returning to Chicago. Some time later, they encounter each other by chance on the street, exchange pleasantries, and part ways with a smile.

Cast

* Vince Vaughn as Gary Grobowski
* Jennifer Aniston as Brooke Meyers
* Joey Lauren Adams as Addie Jones, Brooke's best friend.
* Ann-Margret as Wendy Meyers, Brooke's mother.
* Jason Bateman as Mark Riggleman, a realtor and friend of the couple.
* Judy Davis as Marilyn Dean, an artist, gallery owner, and Brooke's boss.
* Vincent D'Onofrio as Dennis Grobowski, Gary's other brother and boss.
* Jon Favreau as John "Johnny O" Ostrofski, a bartender and Gary's best friend.
* Cole Hauser as Lupus Grobowski, Gary's brother and co-worker.
* John Michael Higgins as Richard Meyers, Brooke's brother.
* Justin Long as Christopher Hirons, a receptionist at Marilyn Dean's gallery.
* Ivan Sergei as Carson Wigham, a client of the gallery who shows interest in Brooke.
* Keir O'Donnell as Paul Grant, a friend of Andrew's and Brooke's date.
* Geoff Stults as Mike Lawrence, another of Brooke's dates.
* Vernon Vaughn as Howard Meyers, Brooke's father.
* Peter Billingsley as Andrew Jones, Addie's husband.
* Mary-Pat Green as Mischa, Marilyn Dean's personal waxer.
* Linda Cohn as ESPN Sportscaster (voice)
* Zack Shada as Mad Dawg Killa (voice)

Reception

Box office

''The Break-Up'' grossed approximately $205 million worldwide, including $118.7 million in the United States and Canada and $86.1 million in other territories. It debuted at number one at the North American box office, earning $39.1 million during its opening weekend.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, ''The Break-Up'' holds an approval rating of 34% based on 192 reviews, with an average rating of 5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "This anti-romantic comedy lacks both laughs and insight, resulting in an odd and unsatisfying experience." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 45 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews." Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "C+" on an A+ to F scale.

Critical reception was mixed, with several reviewers praising the performances but criticizing the tone and narrative direction. Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' awarded the film two-and-a-half stars out of four, noting that while Vaughn and Aniston were convincing as a quarreling couple, the film struggled to balance comedy with its more serious moments. Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' described the film as "a sour, dispiriting affair," faulting it for its uneven shifts between humor and bitterness. In ''Slate'', Dana Stevens found the premise promising but argued that the film ultimately felt "halfhearted" and lacked emotional payoff. ''Common Sense Media'' similarly noted that while the stars exhibited natural chemistry, the film offered "a depressing look at adult relationships" rather than a satisfying romantic comedy.

Rick Groen of ''The Globe and Mail'' wrote that ''The Break-Up'' "possessed a laudable desire not to be yet another run-of-the-mill, wacky-impediment romance—damned if the picture can figure out how to be an anti-romance comedy." James Berardinelli of ''ReelViews'' criticized the film’s uneven tone, commenting that "for a movie marketed as a comedy, it offers surprisingly few laughs." Owen Gleiberman of ''Entertainment Weekly'' graded it a C and described it as "a movie with the courage of its lack of conviction," struggling to commit either to romance or cynicism. ''IGN''’s review praised the film’s ambition to portray a realistic breakup but found the execution "frustratingly uneven."

In a retrospective piece for ''The Guardian'', Scott Jordan Harris argued that ''The Break-Up'' has gained appreciation over time as a "rare mainstream film willing to acknowledge that not all relationships are meant to last."

Awards and nominations

Soundtrack

Home media

''The Break-Up'' was released on DVD on October 17, 2006, and grossed approximately $51 million in the United States from DVD and home video rentals. The film was later released on Blu-ray on June 3, 2014, and again on October 16, 2018. A double-feature Blu-ray, containing ''The Break-Up'' and ''The Dilemma'' (2011), another film starring Vince Vaughn, was released by Mill Creek Entertainment on October 5, 2021.

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Break-Up, The
2000s English-language films
2006 films
2006 romantic comedy-drama films
American romantic comedy-drama films
Films directed by Peyton Reed
Films produced by Scott Stuber
Films scored by Jon Brion
Films set in Chicago
Films shot in Chicago
Films with screenplays by Jeremy Garelick
Universal Pictures films
2000s American films
English-language romantic comedy-drama films
Teen Choice Award winning films