We Broke Up Parent Guide

“Marry me.” These are normally considered magical words, the stuff of romantic daydreams. They are not usually seen as a reason to throw up. Especially when they are spoken in the context of a ten year relationship between a couple living happily together. But when Doug (William Jackson Harper) spontaneously proposes to Lori (Aya Cash), she vomits at his feet.

Not surprisingly, such a dramatic moment has profound repercussions, and the erstwhile lovebirds decide to end their relationship. There’s a catch: Lori’s sister, Bea (Sarah Bolger) is marrying Jayson (Tony Cavalero) on the weekend and both Doug and Lori have parts to play in the big day. Unwilling to put a damper on the happy couple’s festivities, Doug and Lori decide to fake it until the wedding is over. But playing a part can have unexpected consequences…

Romantic comedies often struggle to balance a love story with humor. So, how does We Broke Up manage the two? It’s okay. Setting a wedding at a wilderness camp creates plenty of opportunities for humorous incongruity and some of the jokes land. The romance is not at all swoon-worthy, but the emotions of love, ambivalence, vulnerability, anger, and hurt are believable and ground the story.

We Broke Up also benefits from strong acting. Sarah Bolger brings a light touch to her part as the ditzy but smarter-than-she-looks Bea and Tony Cavalero matches her as the sincere but flaky surfer dude type. William Jackson Harper invests his role as Doug with sincerity and raw vulnerability; in fact, he’s such an open character that viewers might wonder why he wants to marry the more neurotic Lori. Aya Cash creates a Lori who is brittle, constantly irritable, and, frankly, certain to be a challenging life partner. Throw in the communication problems and dysfunctional coping strategies (mainly booze) that the couple rely on, and this relationship obviously has a significant amount of work to do if it’s going to survive.

Where the movie falls down is in its disturbing content issues. The production is literally awash in alcohol, with main characters drinking at every conceivable opportunity and frequently becoming intoxicated. Heavy alcohol consumption is treated as a comic element, as is marijuana use on the part of main characters, who both smoke it and eat edibles. Characters get drunk at social events, while playing drinking games, and when trying to cope with emotional stress. In addition, there are over two dozen profanities and a non-explicit scene of sexual activity.

We Broke Up is unrated, but it clearly clocks in as a Restricted film. Even with adult audiences, it might struggle to find viewers. The film has funny moments and good performances, but breaking up is a depressing topic and rom-com fans are usually looking for a cheerier tone. It seems probable that this love story will have a hard time finding viewers who are willing to commit.