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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Not Easily Broken

EMAILPRINTTriStar Pictures (Sony)

Not Easily Broken reviews
43
7.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Brian Bird

Directed by: Bill Duke

Release Date:
Theatrical: January 9, 2009
DVD: April 7, 2009

Running Time: minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: PG-13 for sexual references and thematic elements

Starring Morris Chestnut, Taraji P. Henson, Maeve Quinlan, Kevin Hart, Wood Harris, and Jenifer Lewis

Chronicling the story of one couple's love, loss and ultimate faith in one another, Not Easily Broken follows the lives of Dave and Clarice Johnson in their second decade of marriage. Dave's dreams of major league baseball success were dashed by an injury in college, leading him to a steady but unfulfilling career as the head of a small construction firm. Clarice is basking in the glow of real estate stardom, creating a life that revolves around her rise to the top. She has become blind to Dave's needs, the most important being his desire to become a father and start a family with her. Soon Dave and Clarice must face a married couple's most serious questions: are we really meant to be together, and if we are, how do we fight to keep what we have built as man and wife? (Sony Pictures)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

75

Entertainment Weekly Chris Nashawaty

Laughter through tears is director Bill Duke's M.O., and he hits the bull's-eye of that modest target.

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63

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

The film is likable. Its messages, many of them Lord-oriented, are all equally heartfelt.

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63

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

For most of Not Easily Broken, I wondered why the movie wasn't worse. Then I remembered it was directed by the veteran Bill Duke, who applies ample TLC.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Justin Berton

Unfortunately, for those who do not subscribe to the notion that God's dust smooths a marriage's rough patches, but rather hard work by people do, the message rings hollow.

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50

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

The actors do what they can with the cards they're dealt but can't overcome the nakedness of the dialogue or the characters' actions. Duke does ensure that the production flows smoothly though. And those frequent injections of comedy do wonders.

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50

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Mr. Duke’s filmmaking is functional at best, and the extreme shifts in emotional tone -- especially a late and disastrous swerve into tragedy -- are handled clumsily in Brian Bird’s script. Yet Not Easily Broken is not easily dismissed. For one thing, the cast is excellent, and for another, its intentions are serious and generous.

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50

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

The whole thrust of the movie is to warn black women against emasculating their men.

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50

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

Based on the novel by T.D. Jakes, this is a queasy mix of comedy, melodrama, and self-help spirituality; it's meant to be uplifting, but its profamily message is undercut by its virulently misogynistic treatment of the realtor and her mother (Jenifer Lewis), both too shrewish and controlling to be believed.

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50

Film Threat Stina Chyn

Coupled with decent acting but average cinematography and editing, Not Easily Broken hums more fittingly to the tune of a LifeTime television event.

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50

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

Exerts an unmistakable appeal, thanks to an absorbing story and fine performances from Morris Chestnut and Taraji P. Henson.

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50

Los Angeles Times Glenn Whipp

The movie may be preaching to the choir -- and every inch of it feels like a sermon -- but it's a pretty decent homily, heartfelt and strongly delivered by a committed cast.

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50

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Director Bill Duke may believe the message but he never invests himself in the characters or their story, which becomes an illustrated lesson with reflective interludes and comic relief.

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50

USA Today Claudia Puig

Well-acted and involving.

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40

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

These resourceful actors -- to say nothing of the audience -- deserve better.

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38

New York Post Kyle Smith

As bland as the Kenny G-style smooth jazz its hero listens to in moments of distress.

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30

Austin Chronicle Theresa Everline

It's fascinating how an innocuous film can suddenly flare up into offensive claptrap.

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25

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

For a film shamelessly trumpeting the importance of staying together through the hard times, Broken makes a disconcertingly convincing case for divorce.

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25

TV Guide Perry Seibert

Those looking for genuine drama should probably look elsewhere.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

doozied real gave it a10:
The movie was fantastico. I enjoyed every scene of the movie. excellent perfecto. It's motivated me to by the book. I goota get it. It captured al audiences, It wasn't just black.

JadeInTheATL gave it a7:
One might expect preachy, but instead just life affirming. With the exception of the Mother-In-Law the characters are realistically written. The script creaks a bit as some scenes don't flow from the narrative but drop in like they were cut and pasted. It could have benefited from a few more re-writes. Bill Duke's direction is a bit choppy at times, but mostly well paced and thankfully unobstrusive. In a way an anti-soap opera, in that characters are not above temptation but are capable of resisting it. A Spanglish-lite.

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