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Not Easily Broken
EMAILPRINTTriStar Pictures (Sony)
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 18 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
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)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
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...
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.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips
The film is likable. Its messages, many of them Lord-oriented, are all equally heartfelt.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
The whole thrust of the movie is to warn black women against emasculating their men.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Ann Hornaday
Exerts an unmistakable appeal, thanks to an absorbing story and fine performances from Morris Chestnut and Taraji P. Henson.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Scott Foundas
These resourceful actors -- to say nothing of the audience -- deserve better.
Read Full Review >New York Post Kyle Smith
As bland as the Kenny G-style smooth jazz its hero listens to in moments of distress.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Theresa Everline
It's fascinating how an innocuous film can suddenly flare up into offensive claptrap.
Read Full Review >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.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Perry Seibert
Those looking for genuine drama should probably look elsewhere.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 6.2 (out of 10) based on 4 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.
