 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Break-Up
- Review Date: October 15, 2006
- PG-13
- Genre: Comedy
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Mean-spirited comedy pushes edge for teens.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know the movie is premised on ugly, angry fighting between exes still sharing a condo, with several scenes that show real pain. Brooke has her pubic area waxed and parades the result in front of her ex (you see her naked back and legs; other body parts are obscured by objects in frame); in turn, Gary hires strippers for a poker game. Characters call each other names and cruelly make fun of each other and their families (this encompasses jokes about homosexuality, promiscuity, and violence/murder). It also features frequent uses of profanity (including at least one f-word).
What's the story?
The film, as the title suggests, showcases the break-up of art gallery manager Brooke (Jennifer Aniston) Chicago tour bus guide Gary (Vince Vaughn), which is complicated by the fact that they own a gorgeous condo together. Neither will leave the space, and so they vie for dominance, each hitting at the other's weak points (her flamboyantly gay-seeming brother [John Michael Higgins], his inability to communicate) in order to inflict punishment. The central conflict is wholly familiar: She comes from moderate money and prefers to keep her home perfectly appointed; he's working class, in business with his tousled brothers (Vincent D'Onofrio and Cole Hauser), and prefers playing violent video games to attending to his girlfriend's emotional needs.
Is it any good?
Teens love Vince Vaughn from Wedding Crashers, but that movie was rated R. This one is close without being nearly as funny. Careening from too-cute to mean-spirited, THE BREAK-UP recycles romantic comedy clichés without energy or inspiration.
While Gary reels off Vaughn's patented patter -- fast, aggressive, arrogant as a means to "hide" insecurity -- Brooke frequently looks sad and defeated. The couple seems so obviously mismatched that you can't help but wonder what they liked about each other to begin with. And the onslaught of insults and bad behaviors is so intense, that by the time it's over, you're just hoping it really is over.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the difficulties of breaking up, whether with friends or romantic partners. How can you manage this without being mean to your ex? What kinds of bad advice do both Brooke and Gary get from their friends, and how might they behave in more mature, self-respecting ways?
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AGE
The review left out that when brook walks around naked her back is visible.
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AGE
I watched this movie with my tween daughter, and enjoyed it. I thought the acting was well-done and the plot was a little cliche, but funny. Overall it was a fun movie, great to watch with younger teens. It wasn't innapropriate, minimal swearing, and though there was some talk of sex, my daughter is mature and she could handle it. I talked to her about it after and she took it well.
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AGE
Skip it
A disappointment. It is supposed to be a comedy but it was more like a drama.
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AGE
kind of funny
this movie is intresting for some people but boring for others.
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AGE
Good Movie!!!
Okay, so 17+ yeah right, what are these people talking about here? I thought a movie with Vince Vaughn was bound to have either a lot of sexual content or crude sexual jokes, there was barely any content shown, and yes there was a scene where jennifer aniston was naked but nothing was shown, seriously. The language was pretty minor except for the one f word. All in all it is a good movie to see with your boyfriend and its a modern day movie on relationships, all in all three stars and i think personaly anyone 12+ can see it.
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Kid, 12 years old
January 9, 2009
AGE
I once broke up with a girl named J. F.
It was kind of iffy, but it was okay.
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AGE
O.K. Movie
Not appropriate for children under 15.
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AGE
ending was so bad but it was a good movie
Good movie but not for kids
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AGE
WORST movie EVER!
I saw this with my friend in the theater. Her sister told us it was a terrible movie, but we wanted to see it for ourselvs. I'm a HUGE Jennifer Aniston fan, espicially since Friends has been a favorite show of mine since I was 10. But this movie was terrible! I thought it was fine for someone of my age. Except the scene when Vince's character invited over hookers. It wasn't all that funny, and the ending was dissapointing. The ONLY funny part was when Jennifer's character's brother sang at dinner. Other wise I give it 0 stars.
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| Studio: | Universal Pictures |
| Director: | Peyton Reed |
| Cast: | Jennifer Aniston, Joey Lauren Adams, Vince Vaughn |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 106 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 2, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | October 17, 2006 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | for sexual content, some nudity and language. |
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