IMDb RATING
5.6/10
6.6K
YOUR RATING
Inspired by his fiancée (who dumped him), a man publishes a break-up hand-book for men, becoming a best-selling author in the process.Inspired by his fiancée (who dumped him), a man publishes a break-up hand-book for men, becoming a best-selling author in the process.Inspired by his fiancée (who dumped him), a man publishes a break-up hand-book for men, becoming a best-selling author in the process.
- Awards
- 1 win & 5 nominations total
Octavia Spencer
- Stylist
- (as Octavia L. Spencer)
Faune Chambers Watkins
- The Betty
- (as Faune Chambers)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
5.66.5K
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Featured reviews
Surprisingly pretty entertaining
Not a bad movie, although the commercials make it look so. I find Jamie Foxx pretty funny in his routines, and although his really spastic comedic side doesn't truly shine through his lines, he has a few Jamie Foxx moments.
It is not hilarious, and it is not going to win any academy awards, its a pretty good romantic comedy, good for all crowds.
JAMIE FOXX's supermodel girlfriend breaks up with him causing him to write the Break-Up handbook detailing how to successfully break up with someone without cause the emotional trauma or a stalker.
MORRIS CHESTNUT is Jamie Foxx's character's cousin who has a 3-month commitment limit. GABRIELLE UNION is dating Morris Chestnut's character and through a whole bunch of drama, Jamie Foxx meets up with her, not knowing she is the same girl his cousin was dating.
Overall, a decently entertaining movie. Definitely worth the rental fees and your time.
It is not hilarious, and it is not going to win any academy awards, its a pretty good romantic comedy, good for all crowds.
JAMIE FOXX's supermodel girlfriend breaks up with him causing him to write the Break-Up handbook detailing how to successfully break up with someone without cause the emotional trauma or a stalker.
MORRIS CHESTNUT is Jamie Foxx's character's cousin who has a 3-month commitment limit. GABRIELLE UNION is dating Morris Chestnut's character and through a whole bunch of drama, Jamie Foxx meets up with her, not knowing she is the same girl his cousin was dating.
Overall, a decently entertaining movie. Definitely worth the rental fees and your time.
A smart black comedy
I saw an advanced screening of Breakin' All the Rules and I have to say it was a refreshing change of pace from recent black comedies (like the mindless Johnson Family Vacation). This was a very smart comedy with interesting plot turns and twist and, for me, the most important element was believable characters. However, with Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union in the cast (do they have to be in every romantic, black comedy?) the movie reminded me a bit of their previous movie, Two Can Play That Game.
Jamie Foxx does a great job of carrying the movie and Peter McNichole is great as the powerful company executive that needs Jamie's help because he afraid to break up with his gold digging girlfriend. And although I've mentioned this as a "black comedy" it really is colorless. Bottom line, the movie was entertaining and well worth seeing!
Jamie Foxx does a great job of carrying the movie and Peter McNichole is great as the powerful company executive that needs Jamie's help because he afraid to break up with his gold digging girlfriend. And although I've mentioned this as a "black comedy" it really is colorless. Bottom line, the movie was entertaining and well worth seeing!
Breakin' All the Rules — For those who believe there are rules in dating
Breakin' All the Rules presents the worst part about dating (never mind that it's a stupid concept): that some people believe there are rules, or make up their own.
If you accept that, all in all, it's a funny movie. The story is inventive, even if there's no big surprise. Jamie Foxx plays a very attaching love broken man, the beautiful Gabrielle Union gives us a nice balancing act of sweet, smart, and upset, and both of them are really hot together. Morris Chestnut is great as a wingman, Jennifer Esposito looks born to play the gold digger, and Peter MacNicol seems to have found the sweet spot of the clueless desperate rich media owner.
Some of the acting is over done a bit, especially the psychotic character played by Bianca Lawson. Jamie seems to push his suave a bit too far at time, just as Morris does.
It's good entertainment if you accept the limitation and the subject.
If you accept that, all in all, it's a funny movie. The story is inventive, even if there's no big surprise. Jamie Foxx plays a very attaching love broken man, the beautiful Gabrielle Union gives us a nice balancing act of sweet, smart, and upset, and both of them are really hot together. Morris Chestnut is great as a wingman, Jennifer Esposito looks born to play the gold digger, and Peter MacNicol seems to have found the sweet spot of the clueless desperate rich media owner.
Some of the acting is over done a bit, especially the psychotic character played by Bianca Lawson. Jamie seems to push his suave a bit too far at time, just as Morris does.
It's good entertainment if you accept the limitation and the subject.
Dumping a lover is hard to do
"Breaking all the Rules" looked promising just by having the talented Jamie Foxx in the lead role. As it plays on the screen, this comedy, directed by Daniel Tablitz, who also wrote the screen play, seems to have been produced on the strength of its star, or maybe someone in the studio decided that making it with a mostly black cast, had possibilities. This comedy could have been played by any cast of any color without making any dent in the genre.
The basic problem is the screen play. Do we care about these people? I don't think so. The running gag about Nicky resembling Halle Berry runs tired after the second time it's mentioned. Even the book that Quincy writes makes no sense.
Jamie Foxx is about the only pretext for spending almost an hour and a half with this film. He is an interesting performer no matter what he is doing. The beautiful Gabrielle Union is fine as Nicky, but there is no heat between Quincy and her. The rest of the cast struggles to make this comedy succeed.
Watch it at your own risk.
The basic problem is the screen play. Do we care about these people? I don't think so. The running gag about Nicky resembling Halle Berry runs tired after the second time it's mentioned. Even the book that Quincy writes makes no sense.
Jamie Foxx is about the only pretext for spending almost an hour and a half with this film. He is an interesting performer no matter what he is doing. The beautiful Gabrielle Union is fine as Nicky, but there is no heat between Quincy and her. The rest of the cast struggles to make this comedy succeed.
Watch it at your own risk.
the break up movie
seems to me that this is where they got the idea for HITCH. this is a very good movie, funny, sarcastic, witty. jamie foxx is terrific, so is gabrielle union. i like the way that they wrote the story, the way that they set it up where the one person doesn't know what the other one is doing, and that they think that it's another person, i guess you just have to watch it to see what i mean. i think in real life that the "break up" book would be very helpful to a lot of people. now granted this isn't an action movie, so don't expect action, what however you should expect is a lot of laughs, and i don't mean a little, i mean tons of laughs, this movie will keep you in stitches the whole entire time,, my fav. character of course was the dog,, trying to get through the doggie door, then peeing when he get's stuck in the door , i thought that was cute.
Did you know
- TriviaDuring the making of this movie, Jamie Foxx had cut his hair for Ray (2004). So in the final scene, Foxx is wearing a wig, which is why his hair looks so much longer.
- GoofsAfter Quincy falls onto the cake he gets up to chase after Nicky. The back of his shirt is completely clean with no sign of any frosting from the cake.
- Quotes
Helen Sharp: Hello, I'm Helen, Quincy's muse.
Nicky Callas: Oh. I'm Nicky, Quincy's girlfriend.
Rita Monroe: I'm Rita. I just screw him.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Siskel & Ebert: Shrek 2/Stateside/Saved!/Baadasssss!/Twist (2004)
- SoundtracksC'mon
Written by Amon Flanagan, Mystikal (as Michael Tyler) and Jerome Perkins
Performed by Mystikal
Courtesy of Jive Records
Under license from BMG Film & TV Music
- How long is Breakin' All the Rules?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- The Break Up Handbook
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $12,264,319
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $5,088,577
- May 16, 2004
- Gross worldwide
- $12,544,254
- Runtime
- 1h 25m(85 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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