Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Uneven family/marriage dramedy has some mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Not Easily Broken
What's the Story?
In this cinematic adaptation of T.D. Jakes' novel, upwardly mobile couple Dave (Morris Chestnut) and Clarisse (Taraji P. Henson) seem destined for a glittering life in Los Angeles. She aims to be a "real estate rainmaker"; he's going to be a baseball star. But then an injury sidelines Dave's dreams, and while Clarisse chases success, he becomes a contractor and channels his athletic aspirations -- and longing to become a parent, which Clarisse doesn't share -- into coaching Little League. They're soon on divergent paths, and their lives are further complicated by a car accident that turns Dave's meddling mother-in-law (Jenifer Lewis) into a daily presence and, more significantly, introduces a single mother (Maeve Quinlan) and her son into their lives.
Is It Any Good?
Funny, schmaltzy, and, it must be said, preachy, NOT EASILY BROKEN isn't as easy to appreciate as you wish it could be. Though it sets out to be a heartwarming, life-affirming drama, its meandering script, leaden storytelling, and shifting tone undercut its potential. (It's a hilarious buddy movie one minute, a tragic drama the next.) A plotline involving a child's death seems to exist only as a device to prompt the leads to do the requisite "taking stock" of their lives and seems like too sharp a turn to make.
So thank goodness for Henson and Lewis, who, when together onscreen, elevate each other's acting game to Olympian levels. (A scene in which daughter confronts mother about her inability to trust men is particularly effective.) Chestnut does a decent, if run-of-the-mill, job balancing vulnerability with toughness, and his easy rapport with his buddies feels believable. (As Dave's friend Tree, Kevin Hart gets all the hilarious lines, and makes the most of them.) Not Easily Broken is the sum of its parts ... too bad there are just too many incompatible ones.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what matters most to them as a family. A great discussion can be had about what makes life meaningful and the roles that faith and church play in the characters' marriage. Older teens can handle a discussion about how the film portrays marriage. Is it more or less realistic than what you've seen in other TV shows and movies? Why?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 9, 2009
- On DVD or streaming : April 7, 2009
- Cast : Maeve Quinlan , Morris Chestnut , Taraji P. Henson
- Director : Bill Duke
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Screen Gems
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual references and thematic elements
- Last updated : March 14, 2020
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