Breakin' All the Rules

"When it comes to getting dumped... he wrote the book."

2004 1h 25m EN

😐

6.0

MID

🥫

32%

ROTTEN

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

5.6

IMDB

★6.0TMDB · 107🥫32%Rotten Tomatoes●46Metacritic★5.6IMDB · 6,448

ComedyRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After being dumped by his model girlfriend, aspiring writer Quincy Watson quits his job and is inspired to pen the ultimate how-to book on breaking up. When it becomes a smash bestseller, he starts giving his player cousin, Evan, choice tips on how to win the battle of the sexes. But when Evan's beautiful girlfriend Nikki gets wind of the plan, it's these players that end up getting played.

“When it comes to getting dumped... he wrote the book.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Jamie Foxx
Quincy Watson
Morris Chestnut
Evan
Gabrielle Union
Nikki
Peter MacNicol
Philip Gascon
Jennifer Esposito
Rita Monroe
Bianca Lawson
Helen Sharp
Jill Ritchie
Amy
Heather Headley
Self (Singer)

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Daniel Taplitz
Writers: Daniel Taplitz
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 22 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Daniel Taplitz, shot by David Hennings. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Marcus Miller. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Frazen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jamie Foxx and Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When it comes to getting dumped... he wrote the book.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0349169 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Daniel Taplitz directs. David Hennings behind the camera. Marcus Miller scores. Robert Frazen cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 22 years ago.
3Directed by Daniel Taplitz, shot by David Hennings. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Marcus Miller. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Robert Frazen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Jamie Foxx and Morris Chestnut and Gabrielle Union carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "When it comes to getting dumped... he wrote the book.".
8IMDB entry: tt0349169 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 19 themes, including "ex-girlfriend", "romcom", "advice", "dating".