Breakin' All the Rules (2004)

32% of critics liked it
(87 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(10,755 ratings)

A man who writes the book on ending a romance runs into rough sledding while starting a new one in this comedy. Quincy (Jamie Foxx) is a magazine editor whose life takes an unexpected turn for the worse when his fiancée, Helen (Bianca Lawson), decides to give him some interesting news at their… More A man who writes the book on ending a romance runs into rough sledding while starting a new one in this comedy. Quincy (Jamie Foxx) is a magazine editor whose life takes an unexpected turn for the worse when his fiancée, Helen (Bianca Lawson), decides to give him some interesting news at their engagement party -- she's breaking up with him. A few days later, Quincy's boss, Phillip (Peter MacNicol), gives him the task of cutting manpower in his department by 15 percent; too emotionally beaten to fire anyone, Quincy responds by quitting his job. Deeply depressed, Quincy begins writing a letter to Helen to explain his feelings, but as he analyses his emotions, his notes take a different turn, and Quincy decides to write a book about how to painlessly break up with someone. The book becomes a smash best-seller, and Quincy's friends begin turning to him for advice on the subject of getting out of relations. Quincy's cousin Evan (Morris Chestnut) is eager to call things off with his girlfriend, Nicky (Gabrielle Union), and asks him to do the dirty work for him; however, Evan begins to have second thoughts when he discovers Quincy has fallen for her. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Daniel Taplitz
Written By: Daniel Taplitz
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: May 14, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Oct 12, 2004
Studio: Screen Gems

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
... this is basically just a sitcom.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
No movie this stupid should need a plot synopsis this complicated.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
A movie that sags and drags under the weight of poor pacing, execrable writing and largely unlikable characters, including a leading man viewers can never really warm up to.
Joe Leydon, Variety
A cleverly concocted hybrid of conventional romantic comedy and mistaken-identity farce.
Mike Clark, USA Today
If the movie were 10 minutes longer, the mix-ups might grind viewers down, but director Daniel Taplitz knows how to juggle the subplots he's given.
Susan Walker, Toronto Star
In many ways a throwback to the era of Doris Day and Jack Lemmon movies.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Not much worth seeing in this mess of a movie.
Uri Lessing, www.kcactive.com
...may be fluff, but it is patient, character-driven fluff.
Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel, 3BlackChicks Review
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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.
Sean McBride, Sean the Movie Guy
it's all very silly and highly unbelievable, but the five main leads are all having a good time.
Thomas Delapa, Boulder Weekly
With a little more polish, Daniel Taplitz's quick-witted romantic comedy might have lived happily ever after.
Vince Koehler, Entertainment Spectrum
A good cast tries to rescue a bad script.
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
Breakin' All the Rules doesn't break any rules at all. It's just a by-the-numbers romantic comedy.
Tony Toscano, Talking Pictures (U.S.)
...the comedy never tried to stretch beyond being common.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Everybody involved in Breakin' All the Rules -- especially the audience -- deserves something more than this tedious excuse for a movie.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Alexander W

The story is half decent, although I think a lot of these films, waste time on film which is just modelling shots. So they found it tough to fit the rest of the story in. But it works, no complaints. Funny !
Al S

Jamie Foxx is hilarious.
George K

Jamie Foxx and Gabrielle Union headline a very funny romantic company. The chemistry between these two is genuine. "Breakin' All The Rules" is a film about mistaken identities gone wild. While the relationship between Foxx and Union is predictable...how the other… More
Jamie Foxx and Gabrielle Union headline a very funny romantic company. The chemistry between these two is genuine. "Breakin' All The Rules" is a film about mistaken identities gone wild. While the relationship between Foxx and Union is predictable...how the other relationships turn out are not...making you stick around until the end. The movie doesn't waste time...starting out with Foxx's character Quincy getting dumped by his girlfriend. Quincy then writes a successful how-to book on breaking up and that sets off a chain reaction that will keep you in your seat until the end.