The Breakup (2006)

Plot of the Breakup: Gary and Brooke become lovers after Gary smart talked her at a football game. They jointly own a condo, but their relationship begins to sour as Gary lies about watching sport on TV and plays video games, and Brooke does the housekeeping in the time she has after managing an art gallery for a temperamental arty owner.  Things come to a head when Gary refuses to help with the washing up after an unsuccessful dinner party involving their friends and relatives. They split up, but since they are joint owners of the condo they retreat to different areas of it while their friend, realtor Riggleman, puts it up for sale. Gary does quite a bit to irritate Brooke including installing a pool table and playing strip poker with some young women. Brooke does some dating, unsuccessfully, and there are misunderstandings resulting in further distress.

Content: No sex, but a bit of non-revelatory nudity. Quite a bit of casual beer drinking when Gary meets with his friend Johnny in a bar. The romance between Gary and Brooke is presented as a sequence of still photos, so time saved. In their condo Brooke stalks about looking svelte and Gary lies about looking slubby.  The dinner takes place with embarrassing events, and the washing up brings things to a head. Gary wants – the hell to be left alone – so Brooke obliges. Meanwhile Gary runs his tour guide company in Chicago and Brooke works in the art gallery.

A View: It is generally considered that this film failed to be a comedy about breaking up, and it is possible that there were enough distressing events to remind anyone who has broken up how it all went, and that generally the process is even more painful than portrayed. Even what we saw on the screen was more painful than funny. Vince Vaughn saw himself at the time as being a comedian, despite evidence to the contrary, and he has done much better as a villain. So even if you like romantic comedies, this one is not for you.

Fun Fact: Despite its dislike by the critics this outing made a lot of money and Jennifer Aniston was offered $20 million to star in a possible sequel.