Breakin' All the Rules

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Breakin' All the Rules

PG-13

2004

1h 25m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

32%

Tomatometer

85 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Quincy Watson (Jamie Foxx) has been having a tough time. After being abruptly dumped by his fiancée (Bianca Lawson), he decides to quit his job as an editor. Remarkably, Quincy manages to turn things around when he pens a book about ending relationships. While the book leaps to best-seller status, it gets him into trouble, particularly after his cousin Evan (Morris Chestnut) gets inspired to leave his beautiful girlfriend, Nicky (Gabrielle Union), who later falls for Quincy.

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Critics Consensus

This formulaic screwball comedy is weighed down by a contrived, overly complicated plot.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Not much worth seeing in this mess of a movie.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 22, 2010

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

... this is basically just a sitcom.

May 17, 2004

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Both Foxx and Union have a sexy, oft-kilter chemistry that suits them perfectly. There is an unavoidable attraction to the two, their romance hitting almost all the right notes even as the rest of the flick sours the stomach.

Rated: 2/4

May 15, 2004

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Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 3/5

Aug 7, 2008

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Uri Lessing

www.kcactive.com

...may be fluff, but it is patient, character-driven fluff.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 25, 2005

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Mark Collette

Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

Digresses into that hazy zone where we're not sure if we're watching overwrought drama or a joke that just isn't funny.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 16, 2004

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Test T

I watched this on DVD recently. It's a film about breakups, and how to handle them safely. It sounds like something to build a movie around, and at a basic level it works. However, the problem is that at every turn this film chooses to add extra complexity, instead of developing the ideas it has already revealed, so after the first half hour or so the plot starts to feel bloated. I began to doubt whether it wiould ever reach a satisfying conclusion, and sadly it doesn't. In summary, it's ok if you just want to kill some time, but a few days later you won't even remember watching it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/28/24

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adam b

Bland and just plain simply not a film for me. Doesn't mean it's not worth the watch

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Jami Foxx is on point in this underrated romantic comedy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

where i can see it? the trailer was dope!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

As Jamie Foxx made his move toward acclaimed dramatic roles (the FX tv movie Redemption, Collateral and Ray) about a decade ago, we immediately forget that he participated in this romantic comedy in early 2004. He and Gabrielle Union made attractive leads and the film is harmless from what I remembered, just not as funny from what I remembered.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

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Audience Member

Quirky film that has its funny parts but will keep you laughing for a while. Good comedy and steady pace with well planned storyline.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

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Daniel Taplitz

Director

Jamie Foxx

Quincy Watson

Gabrielle Union

Nicky Callas

Morris Chestnut

Evan Fields

Peter MacNicol

Philip Gascon

Jennifer Esposito

Rita Monroe

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Synopsis

Quincy Watson (Jamie Foxx) has been having a tough time. After being abruptly dumped by his fiancée (Bianca Lawson), he decides to quit his job as an editor. Remarkably, Quincy manages to turn things around when he pens a book about ending relationships. While the book leaps to best-seller status, it gets him into trouble, particularly after his cousin Evan (Morris Chestnut) gets inspired to leave his beautiful girlfriend, Nicky (Gabrielle Union), who later falls for Quincy.

Director: Daniel Taplitz
Producer: Lisa Tornell
Screenwriter: Daniel Taplitz
Distributor: Screen Gems
Production Co: Screen Gems, Breakup Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Humor|Language|Sexual Material)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 14, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.8M
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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