'Not Easily Broken' review

Morris Chestnut and Taraji P. Henson (Credit: Ron Phillips/Sony)

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Dave (Morris Chestnut) and Clarice's (Taraji P. Henson) once-happy marriage hits a rough patch after she's injured in a car accident and later, after recovering, suspects that he's cheating on her with her physical therapist. Not helping things is Clarice's mom (Jenifer Lewis), who moves into their house and constantly antagonizes Dave.

The buzz: The film is based on the novel by Pastor T.D. Jakes ("Woman Thou Art Loosed"), so viewers can apparently expect blunt messages of faith and fidelity. But at least this is a story in which people actually identify and try to solve their marital problems, unlike the two hours of screaming and unexamined misery that is "Revolutionary Road."

The verdict: Um, thanks for the lecture. It's one thing to have your heart in the right place and another to lunge at the audience until they're effectively devouring your chest. Between Dave's completely unnecessary narration and rising melodrama that does the performances no favors, "Broken" constantly double-checks that we get the point, which seems to be that mothers-in-law are a big ol' pain and women shouldn't be too independent because it emasculates men. (Also, that church is "like a hospital where sick people go to get well.") Plus, based on Clarice's jealousy over Dave's time spent coaching a little league team, setting a good example for today's youth is bad news.

Did you know? Dave's friend Tree (Kevin Hart) says the best husband strategy is to say "sorry" first-thing in the morning, so if you do something wrong later you've already apologized.

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