7.8/10
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The Broken Circle Breakdown (2012)

18A | | Drama, Music, Romance | 10 October 2012 (Belgium)
The Broken Circle Breakdown Poster
Trailer
1:36 | Trailer
Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He's a romantic atheist, she's a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.

Director:

Felix van Groeningen

Writers:

Johan Heldenbergh (play), Mieke Dobbels (play) | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Veerle Baetens, Johan Heldenbergh, Nell Cattrysse | See full cast & crew »
70
Reviews
Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 37 wins & 25 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

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Photos

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johan Heldenbergh ... Didier Bontinck / Monroe
Veerle Baetens ... Elise Vandevelde / Alabama
Nell Cattrysse Nell Cattrysse ... Maybelle
Geert Van Rampelberg ... William
Nils De Caster Nils De Caster ... Jock
Robbie Cleiren Robbie Cleiren ... Jimmy (as Robby Cleiren)
Bert Huysentruyt Bert Huysentruyt ... Jef
Jan Bijvoet ... Koen
Sofie Sente Sofie Sente
Ruth Beeckmans Ruth Beeckmans ... (as Ruth Beekmans)
Jan Hammenecker Jan Hammenecker ... Doctor
Blanka Heirman Blanka Heirman ... Denise
Kirsten Pieters Kirsten Pieters
Yves Degryse Yves Degryse
Dominique Van Malder Dominique Van Malder
See full cast »
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Storyline

Elise and Didier fall in love at first sight. She has her own tattoo shop and he plays the banjo in a bluegrass band. They bond over their shared enthusiasm for American music and culture, and dive headfirst into a sweeping romance that plays out on and off stage - but when an unexpected tragedy hits their new family, everything they know and love is tested. An intensely moving portrait of a relationship from beginning to end, propelled by a soundtrack of foot-stomping bluegrass, The Broken Circle Breakdown is a romantic melodrama of the highest order. Written by Tribeca Film

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

bluegrass music | male full frontal nudity | bluegrass | atheist | tattoo | See All (126) »

Taglines:

Sometimes love can conquer fate. Sometimes not.

Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

Certificate:

18A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The song "If I needed you" performed by Johan Heldenbergh and Veerle Baetens was originally written by Townes Van Zandt in 1972 and 9 years later covered by American country music artists Emmylou Harris and Don Williams as a duet. See more »

Quotes

Elise Vandevelde: Life is NOT generous.
See more »

Connections

Featured in MsMojo: Top 10 Most Underrated Romance Movies (2019) See more »

Soundtracks

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
(uncredited)
Written by Hank Williams
Performed by Veerle Baetens
See more »

User Reviews

 
infinite sadness...
10 October 2012 | by steve-festen – See all my reviews

I saw this movie yesterday, and must say that it's the first time that I'm really really impressed by a Belgian movie. If I had to compare it with another movie, I would say Into the Wild. Both movies are about passion, beauty and sadness. Whereas ItW has a lot more focus on beauty and passion (the sadness didn't really reach me), this one also has a lot of beauty (never knew I liked bluegrass music so much) and passion, but the sadness... oh the sadness... Half the movie you will be trying to hold in your tears. So don't expect a big story with plot twists and murder weapons; expect a story about real people, that puts your feet on the ground, and that shows you how little it would take for you yourself to end up like this. Now excuse me while I go and look for some Bill Monroe music...
134 of 159 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
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Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook | Official Site | See more »

Country:

Belgium | Netherlands

Language:

Flemish | English | Dutch

Release Date:

10 October 2012 (Belgium) See more »

Also Known As:

Alabama Monroe See more »

Filming Locations:

Ghent, East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium See more »
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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,100, 3 November 2013

Gross USA:

$175,058

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,990,754
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Menuet Producties, Topkapi Films, Belgacom See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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