Breaking the Rules

Breaking the Rules was one of those films that slipped in and out of theaters before it could develop a following. If it were not for video I think very few would have seen it and that would have been a pity.

Three childhood chums have gone their separate ways. In fact two of them are downright hostile to each other. The third, Jason Bateman, succeeds in bringing the other two to some kind of a truce and all three take an automobile trip out west. Bateman feels compelled to do it, he's under a deadline literally. He's got a rare and rapidly growing form of leukemia and has little time left.

C. Thomas Howell and Jonathan Silverman play the other two friends, but it's Jason Bateman's touching performance as their dying chum that really drives the film.

Bateman's career was in limbo at the time. He had left The Hogan Family and it would be many years before he got another break in Arrested Development. Had this film been better promoted he might have been doing better a whole lot sooner.

Annie Potts plays the waitress all three pick up on their way to California and she scores well in her role. But it's really a triple buddy picture with a tragic twist.

Catch it if you can when it's broadcast.

I'm always a sucker for those `what can you say about a girl/guy who's died' kinda movies. From Love Story to Torch Song Trilogy to Brian's Song, in the movies there is a certain sort of nobility endowed by dying. It's a mystery that we all fear and wonder about and ultimately face more or less on our own. There may be others present but we do it alone in our own, individual ways.

What's important is what goes before and what we have done for those that we leave behind.

This movie deals with that issue and does it in a life affirming way. What Phil (Jason Bateman) does for Gene (C. Thomas Howell) and Rob (Jonathon Silverman) is get them back together as friends, and helps them deal with his impending death while dealing with it himself in the best way that he can. Yes, this theme has been done before. Yes there are aspects that are completely ignored. And Yes, some parts could have been done better, but overall I'm glad that I saw this movie and think that many others would be too.

The movie is bittersweet without being maudlin. It has heart and lets the viewer see the emotions of three young men, no mean feat for a movie. When Mary Klinglitch (Annie Potts) joins the group it somehow allows the guys to drop some of their masculine bravado and her presence seems to make the group `whole'. Perhaps its her presence that makes it ok for these guys to be `Breaking the Rules' about way men behave when together.

I have to say I'm pretty shocked at the number of positive reviews of this "movie". I stumbled across it today on free TV and was stunned at how awful it was. I pity anyone who sat through this 15 times. I have a deep and embarrassing soft spot for anything mildly sappy but come on, this was atrocious. The scene where C. Thomas is insulting Annie Potts and the guys are "arguing" over her was horrendously written and acted. Nothing felt true or real or honest in this programmed maudlin mess. I wonder if this was the movie that sent C.T. to drinking.

The cast is all very capable and have been good elsewhere but god, I was just cringing for Annie Potts having to spit out tasteless dialogue while mauling Jonathan Silverman as Bateman and Howell watch from the bed. And the cancer makeup on Bateman was terribly done. Didn't buy it for a second.

How can you enjoy a movie when your ripping it into little pieces and analyzing it.

This movie wasn't about the money apparently.

It was dedicated to S.I. I don't know who that is, but it was dedicated to them never the less. I like the movie a lot. Any movie that can move you that much is a great movie.

I got all I wanted from it.

Beautiful.

Enough said.

The acting is not the greatest, sound dubbing was a real joke, but the story and the feeling of the movie was amazing. If you watch this movie and don't feel it in your heart, call the coroner... you are dead.

I would LOVE to have this movie in my DVD collection, I just have to get them to put it on DVD. I personally think it was GREAT! Guys seem to have a problem getting caught showing their feelings. If you have feelings, don't watch this movie with a woman if showing your emotions is a no.. no. If you have ever lost a friend, this will bring back all of the emotions. If you are losing a friend, this movie will hurt even more.

I take one star for the cheesy acting and the poor dubbing, but the other four stars are solid. I recommend it highly.