History Film / TheBreakup

* JerkassHasAPoint:
** When Brooke cries that she didn't really want to break up with Gary and that she just wanted him to appreciate all what she did for him, Gary asks why she didn't just ''tell him that''. As one review pointed out, this echoed the sentiment of millions of men frustrated with their wives/girlfriends for expecting them to read their minds.
** The fight that leads to their breakup has shades of this too. No matter how valid Brooke's complaints are, Gary has some legitimate ones too.

-->'''Gary:''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion Why didn't you just say that to me?]]

-->'''Gary:''' Never like that. You might have said some things that meant to imply that, but I'm not a mind reader.

* GenreDeconstruction: Unlike many romantic comedies that would play out a BreakUpToMakeUp scenario, this couple stays apart--by the time Gary finally realizes what Brooke was trying to tell him and indicates that he's ready and willing to be the man she wants, she tearfully admits that she's too emotionally drained and doesn't love him anymore. It also points out that Brooke should have just outright said how she felt and what she wanted from Gary instead of engaging in veiled implications, mind games and [[SecretTestOfCharacter secret tests]] as are typical in the genre since, as Gary points out, while her points might have merit, he's not a mind reader.

* GenreDeconstruction: Unlike many romantic comedies that would play out a BreakUpToMakeUp scenario, this couple stays apart--by the time Gary finally realizes what Brooke was trying to tell him and indicates that he's ready and willing to be the man she wants, she tearfully admits that she's too emotionally drained and doesn't love him anymore. It also points out that Brooke should have just outright said how she felt and what she wanted from Gary instead of engaging in veiled implications, mind games and [[SecretTestOfCharacter secret tests]] as are typical in the genre, since while her points might have merit he's not a mind reader.

** {{Implied}} with Andrew, who votes to kick Gary off the bowling team because his wife pressures him to.

* HollywoodBoardGames: The final sign that Brooke and Gary's marriage is broken beyond repair is that they can't even play ''TabletopGame({{Pictionary}}'' together anymore. Soon enough, the affair becomes a GameNightFight.

* HenpeckedHusband: Implied with Andrew, who votes to kick Gary off the bowling team because his wife pressures him to.

* InformedFlaw: Brooke's boss tells her "You look like shit". This is conveyed...by her wearing her hair in a ponytail.

* GameNightFight: An ugly dragout fight erupts from a game of Pictionary, convincing everyone that Gary and Brooke are not going to work it out.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Johnny, who's been firmly on Gary's side through the break-up, gets one of these at the end, not unkindly but firmly taking Brooke's side and letting Gary know what a selfish and thoughtless person he is, to Brooke, to Johnny, to everyone he knows.

* GenreDeconstruction: Unlike many romantic comedies that would play out a BreakUpToMakeUp scenario, this couple stays apart--by the time Gary finally realizes what Brooke was trying to tell him and indicates that he's ready and willing to be the man she wants, she tearfully admits that she's too emotionally drained and doesn't love him anymore.

* RealityEnsues: Unlike many romantic comedies that would play out a BreakUpToMakeUp scenario, this couple stays apart--by the time Gary finally realizes what Brooke was trying to tell him and indicates that he's ready and willing to be the man she wants, she tearfully admits that she's too emotionally drained and doesn't love him anymore.

Tour guide Gary Grobowski (Vaughn) and art gallery manager Brooke Meyers (Aniston) meet and begin dating, eventually buying a condominium together. However, as the title implies, they break up. Since neither is willing to move out of their condo, they compromise by living as roommates; but each begins acting out to provoke the other in increasingly elaborate ways.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_break_up.jpg]]

** When Brooke cries that she didn't really want to break up with Gary and that she just wanted him to appreciate all what she did for him, Gary asks why she didn't just ''tell him that''.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Gary is playing a boxing video game. Brooke walks over, goes to the fridge, gets a drink and walks back to her room all while naked. Gary gets knocked out in the video game.

* RealityEnsues: Unlike many romantic comedies that would have the couple reconciling at the end, this couple stays apart--by the time Gary finally realizes what Brooke was trying to tell him and indicates that he's ready and willing to be the man she wants, she tearfully admits that she's too emotionally drained and doesn't love him anymore.

* FriendsRentControl: Averted. Neither character wants to move out, each--rightfully--feeling that they are entitled to the place,, as they've both contributed financially. But despite both of them making a good living, it's made clear that neither can afford the apartment on their own, prompting their friend/realtor to suggest they sell it and split the proceeds.

* InformedFlaw: Brooke's boss tells her "You look like shit". This is conveyed. . .by her wearing her hair in a ponytail.
* JerkassHasAPoint: When Brooke cries that she didn't really want to break up with Gary, she just wanted​ him to appreciate all she did for him. Gary asks why she didn't just ''tell him that''.

* PoorCommunicationKills: After weeks/months of hostility, Brooke invites Gary to a concert. He fails to realize that this is a last-ditch attempt to save their relationship and stands her up, putting the final nail in the coffin. As pointed out in the "Jerkass" post, he asks her why she didn't just tell him that she wanted to give it one last try.
* RealityEnsues: Unlike many romantic comedies that would have the couple reconciling at the end, this couple stays apart--by the time Gary finally realizes what Brooke was trying to tell​ him and indicates that he's ready and willing to be the man she wants, she tearfully admits that she's too​ emotionally drained and doesn't love him anymore.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Gary is watching a boxing match on TV. Brooke walks over, goes to the fridge, gets a drink and walks back to her room all while naked. Cue this trope.