The Break-Up Movie Analysis

The film starts off with the protagonists’ encounter in a baseball tournament. Invitation communication begins with Gary asking Brooke if she would like to have a hotdog. On relationship meaning level, it reflects Gary’s interest in knowing Brooke. By the end of the tournament, Gary tries to ask her out, exploring the possibilities for a relationship with her. Despite Brooke calling him “crazy”, she still chuckles and responds to Gary’s pick-up lines, hinting that Brooke is not totally uninterested. It is quickly followed by the opening credits with intimate photos that captured the intensifying communication stage between the protagonists. Their long term commitment takes the form of cohabitation, thus completing the escalation phase of the romantic relationship. After which it goes straight to the topic “The Break-up”, which showcases how the navigating phase foiled, resulting in the deterioration phase. The navigating phase starts off with the couples inviting their families over for a dinner. Introducing each other family members suggest that Gary and Brooke are working on this long term relationship together. However, things did not work out as expected and it soon resulted in relationship deterioration. The dispute sparked off when Brooke requested for twelve lemons but Gary only bring home three. Soon, they side-track from the issue and they both tries to one up each other. Brooke refuses to acknowledge that Gary had a long day at work and he wants a short rest. Gary fails to realize that Brooke has also worked all day, cleaned the condo and spent the past hours preparing for dinner. The couple fails to understand the other’s perspective and their lack of empathy for one another continues to anger them both. Brooke then engages in “gunnysacking”, whereby she stores up the grievance of preparing the dinner herself. After the dinner, Brooke says “I’m gonna go do the dishes”, but Gary who is preoccupied with his video game, is not mindful of the

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