The Break-Up   

Gary Grobowski: Vince Vaughn

Brooke Meyers: Jennifer Aniston

Maddie: Joey Lauren Adams

Johnny O: Jon Favreau

Dennis Grobowski: Vincent D'Onofrio

Riggleman: Jason Bateman

Richard Meyers: John Michael Higgins

Lupus Grobowski: Cole Hauser

Directed by Peyton Reed

Screenplay by 

Jeremy Garelick & Jay Lavender

Story by Vince Vaughn &

Jeremy Garelick & Jay Lavender

I readily admit that I am a fan of both Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston.  I think they are both fine comedic actors who can display a range of emotions when needed, and those talents are exactly what The Break-Up requires from its stars in order to be effective.  Vaughn and Aniston are perfect in their roles and I came away very entertained. 

Vaughn plays Gary Grobowski, a Chicago tour guide in business with his two brothers, and Aniston plays Brooke Meyers, an art gallery assistant.  They meet before the opening credits in an odd encounter at Wrigley Field and as the titles roll across the screen, pictures they have taken over the course of their relationship adequately get us up to date. 

The Break-Up turns out to be a little different in tone than you initially expect.  There are some very funny moments throughout the movie (more in the first half than the second), but it actually develops into a pretty realistic look at the end of a relationship.  How seemingly small things turn into huge fights with increasingly little chance for reconciliation. 

Neither Gary nor Brooke really seem to want to break up with each other at first, but in their own twisted methods of trying to get the other back, they each manage to drive a wedge deeper between them than originally existed. 

Eventually, it seems to everyone involved (the audience included) that maybe this is the best thing for both of them.  The truth of the matter is that sometimes it takes something drastic or possibly disastrous to allow for a little self-reflection and personal growth.  (It’s probably no coincidence that Aniston signed on to this movie shortly after her split with Brad Pitt.  The role itself had to be somewhat cathartic for her, regardless of whether she admits to it.)  And, despite having to share their apartment after their split, the resulting space eventually provided to Gary and Brooke allows for that. 

As in most romantic comedies, the supporting cast is an important aspect to the success of the film, and in The Break-Up, the entire cast shines.  Jon Favreau and Joey Lauren Adams as the respective best friends, Cole Hauser and Vincent D’Onofrio (who practically steals the movie on his own) as Gary’s brothers, John Michael Higgins as Brooke’s effeminate brother, and Jason Bateman as the couple’s realtor/friend.  In relatively little screen time, each of these actors is able to flesh out a noteworthy character that adds a lot to the story. 

It’s actually kind of shocking to me that the reviews are as middling as they are.  There isn’t a bad performance in the film (well, maybe one – Brooke’s co-worker, Christopher), the story is realistic and hits on the range of emotions needed for a story detailing the end of a romance, and it’s well paced and supplies plenty of laughs.  By the end of the movie, you care about both of the characters and want to see them make the right choices.