Broken Bridges (2006)

5% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
88% of users liked it
(19,828 ratings)

When a fading country music superstar Bo Price (Toby Keith) returns to his hometown for the funeral of his younger brother, a reunion with his high-school sweetheart drags the pain of the past into the present day and soon promises to change his life forever. Bo and Angela (Kelly Preston) have both… More When a fading country music superstar Bo Price (Toby Keith) returns to his hometown for the funeral of his younger brother, a reunion with his high-school sweetheart drags the pain of the past into the present day and soon promises to change his life forever. Bo and Angela (Kelly Preston) have both lost the ones they love in a tragic accident, and now the time has come to say goodbye. For every end there is a new beginning though, and when Bo reunites with Angela and meets the daughter he has never known, the life-changing encounter stirs feelings that Bo had long-since buried after achieving stratospheric success. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Steven Goldmann
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Sep 8, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jan 9, 2007
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Country star Toby Keith makes his acting debut in this rickety heartland drama, which was produced by Country Music Television and panders shamelessly to the traditional-values crowd.
Joe Leydon, Variety
It's obviously intended as a star vehicle, but Broken Bridges turns out to be a rattletrap jalopy for country music performer Toby Keith.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A limp, timeworn tale of a drunken has-been country star (Keith) and a TV reporter he had and lost (Kelly Preston) who meet again after returning home because of a tragedy.
Louis B. Parks, Houston Chronicle
When you can get just as good on the Hallmark network, why drive all the way to a theater?
Bobby Reed, Chicago Sun-Times
Any viewer who can't predict the outcome of this modest flick must not be familiar with a certain genre to which it is indebted: the made-for-TV movie.
Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News
At every turn, Broken Bridges is filled with clichéd predictability.
James Plath, Reel.com
Good music, but how painfully obvious and familiar the story is, and how superficial the lines and character arcs.
Chuck O'Leary, FulvueDrive-in.com
The kind of trite material that seems better suited for the small screen than the big screen.
Frank Lovece, Film Journal International
An imperfect but emotionally true and often magnificently acted drama.
Todd Jorgenson, Denton Record Chronicle (TX)
Soundtrack sales seem to be the main motivation behind this corny and cliched Southern melodrama that marks the film debut of country music star Toby Keith.
Collin Souter, eFilmCritic.com
It feels about as sincere and insightful as a Schlitz-induced rendition of Achy-Breaky Heart.
Josh Rosenblatt, Austin Chronicle
Director Goldmann, who cut his teeth directing videos for Shania Twain and Faith Hill, never misses a chance to punch-up an emotional scene with a contrived, heart-melting music performance by one or more of his stars.
Preston Jones, Slant Magazine
Broken Bridges is wrapped tight in the cloak of good intentions, soft-pedaling tired tripe about redemption, reconciliation, and finding solace in the bottle.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The Country Music Channel's first foray into feature filmmaking is sickly sweet and thoroughly predictable.
Erik Childress, eFilmCritic.com
It would have served Keith better to pick a project that didn't accentuate a character who stumbles around an aimless plot with the same confusion of Bruce Banner coming down from one of his 'smash' moods.
Scott Tobias, AV Club
Broken Bridges is one of those movies where most scenes start with a character staring out over a pond, sitting on a porch, or looking at an old photograph, just waiting to reminisce with whoever sidles up next to them.
Luke Y. Thompson, E! Online
Strictly for fans of Keith, or drunk people with bemused contempt for same.
Jason Ferguson, Orlando Weekly
The most uncritical, red-state fans of the ridiculously imposing country star will get exactly the sort of thinly plotted, poorly dialogued, feel-good flick they expect, while anyone else will wonder why this film deserved a green light.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
Keith remains as rigid as a bookcase.

Read all 19 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Coxxie M

"Keith plays a country singer who has fallen from the spotlight" wheee doggie! he really had to get in character for this didnt he!
Red L

We've all seen these stories before - drunk performer turns his life around, reunites with his estranged girlfriend and daughter and everyone lives happily everafter.
Leigh R

Sweet and musical. My kind of movie...