Not Easily Broken is an 2009 drama film

Drama film

A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...

 directed

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 by Bill Duke

Bill Duke

William Henry "Bill" Duke, Jr. is an American actor and film director with over 30 years of experience. Known for his physically imposing frame, Duke's work frequently dwells within the action/crime and drama genres but also includes comedy.-Early life:Duke was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, the...

. The film is written by Brian Bird based on T. D. Jakes

T. D. Jakes

Thomas Dexter "T. D." Jakes Sr. is the chief pastor of The Potter's House, a non-denominational American megachurch, with 30,000 members, located in Dallas, Texas.T.D...

' 2006 novel of the same name.

Plot

Dave (Morris Chestnut

Morris Chestnut

Morris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...

) and Clarice Johnson (Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...

) have reached a breaking point in their marriage. When Clarice is injured in a car accident, her mother Mary (Jenifer Lewis

Jenifer Lewis

Jenifer Jeanette Lewis is an American film and television actress and singer.-Early life:Lewis was born in Kinloch, Missouri, to a nurse's aid mother and a factory worker father. She attended college at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri...

) intervenes. The obvious truth that more than just her injuries need immediate attention is exposed. Their odds of making it worsen as Clarice begins to see a physical therapist, and Dave develops a friendship with her (Maeve Quinlan

Maeve Quinlan

Maeve Anne Quinlan is an American actress and former professional tennis player. She is best known for starring in the critically acclaimed hit series South of Nowhere, which received two nominations in a row for Best Drama at the GLAAD Media Awards, and she has a recurring role on...

) and her friendly teenage son Bryson (Cannon Jay). The acceptance and comfort Dave finds in them stirs his longing for a family and a passionate partner. Sadly, Bryson unexpectedly dies in a swimming accident, Dave and Julie's relationship closens and Clarice pulls farther away; they must confront whether their vows are or are not easily broken. Later on, Dave visits Julie after she calls him, and he comforts her in her grief. They begin to kiss, but Dave realizes it is Clarice he truly wants. The couple reunites once Clarice expresses to him the reasons for her mother having such a big input in their marriage. They reunite and Dave finds out that Clarice is pregnant.

Cast

• Morris Chestnut
  Morris Chestnut
  Morris L. Chestnut is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as teenage father Ricky Baker in the 1991 film Boyz n the Hood, groom-to-be Lance Sullivan in the 1999 film The Best Man, as Tracy Reynolds, NBA star in the 2002 film Like Mike, and as the Visitor Ryan in the...
  
   as Dave Johnson
• Taraji P. Henson
  Taraji P. Henson
  Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Yvette in Baby Boy , Shug in Hustle and Flow and Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button , for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2009...
  
   as Clarice Clark-Johnson
• Maeve Quinlan
  Maeve Quinlan
  Maeve Anne Quinlan is an American actress and former professional tennis player. She is best known for starring in the critically acclaimed hit series South of Nowhere, which received two nominations in a row for Best Drama at the GLAAD Media Awards, and she has a recurring role on...
  
   as Julie Sawyer
• Kevin Hart
  Kevin Hart (actor)
  Kevin Hart is an American actor and stand-up comedian.-Early life and career:Hart was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was raised by his single mother...
  
   as Tree
• Wood Harris
  Wood Harris
  Sherwin David "Wood" Harris is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale on the HBO television drama The Wire, and as high-school football player Julius Campbell in the 2000 motion picture Remember the Titans.-Life and career:Harris was born in...
  
   as Darnell Gooden
• Eddie Cibrian
  Eddie Cibrian
  Edward Carl "Eddie" Cibrian is an American actor. He is known for his television roles as Cole Deschanel on Sunset Beach, Jesse Cardoza in CSI: Miami, Jimmy Doherty on Third Watch and Russell Varon in Invasion.-Early life and career:...
  
   as Brock Houseman
• Jenifer Lewis
  Jenifer Lewis
  Jenifer Jeanette Lewis is an American film and television actress and singer.-Early life:Lewis was born in Kinloch, Missouri, to a nurse's aid mother and a factory worker father. She attended college at Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri...
  
   as Mary "Mama" Clark
• Niecy Nash
  Niecy Nash
  Carol Denise "Niecy" Nash is an American comedian and actress who has hosted Clean House on the Style Network and played Deputy Raineesha Williams on the Comedy Central television series Reno 911!.-Early life:Nash was born in Palmdale, California. In addition to her acting endeavors, she is the...
  
   as Michelle
• Cannon Jay as Bryson Sawyer
• Albert Hall as Bishop Wilkes

Reception

The film has received mainly negative to mixed reviews from critics. As of January 9, 2009, Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...

 reported that 37% of critics gave positive reviews from critics based on 38 reviews. Another review aggretator, Metacritic

Metacritic

Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...

, gave the film an 43/100 approval rating based on 18 reviews.

On its opening weekend, it opened #9 with $5,600,000 in 724 theaters with an $7,735 average.

External links

• Morris Chestnut: The "Not Easily Broken" Interview with Kam Williams