Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart
Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart (also known as Unbreak My Heart) is a 2016 American television biographical film about R&B singer Toni Braxton. It premiered at Lifetime on January 23, 2016.
| Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart | |
|---|---|
Official poster | |
| Written by | Susan McMartin Toni Braxton (Book) Nicole Jefferson (Teleplay) |
| Directed by | Vondie Curtis-Hall |
| Starring | Lex Scott Davis Debbi Morgan Gavin Houston Cortney Scott Wright Skye P. Marshall LaToya Franklyn Tiffany Hines |
| Music by | Laura Karpman |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Craig Baumgarten (exec.) Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds Toni Braxton (also exec.) Erik Kritzer (exec.) Marcus Grant (exec.) Towanda Braxton |
| Running time | 88 minutes |
| Production companies | LINK Entertainment Lighthouse Pictures |
| Distributor | Lifetime |
| Release | |
| Original release | January 23, 2016 |
It derives its title from Braxton's book Toni Braxton Unbreak My Heart a Memoir and her most notable hit "Un-Break My Heart". The film stars Lex Scott Davis as Toni Braxton, Debbi Morgan as Evelyn Braxton, Skye P. Marshall as Towanda Braxton, Tiffany Hines as Tamar Braxton and Gavin Houston as Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. The film was directed by Vondie Curtis Hall and written by Susan McMartin, Toni Braxton and Nicole Jefferson.[1]
Plot
The biopic follows the Toni Braxton's journey from her discovery by mega producers L.A. Reid and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, to her battle with Lupus. The movie also delves into how she made it through her public divorce all while navigating her son's autism and family struggles. "Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart" chronicles the untold measures the wildly talented artist took to make herself and her family whole again, becoming a global inspiration.[2]
Cast
- Lex Scott Davis as Toni Braxton
- Debbi Morgan as Evelyn Braxton
- Skye P. Marshall as Towanda Braxton
- Tiffany Hines as Tamar Braxton
- Courtney Scott Wright as Traci Braxton
- LaToya Franklyn as Trina Braxton
- Andre Hall as Keri Lewis
- Gavin Houston as Kenny 'Babyface' Edmonds
- Greg Davis Jr. as L.A. Reid
- Doron Bell as Scott Rhodes
- Celeste Sullivan as Perri "Pebbles" Reid
- Toni Braxton as Herself
- Diezel Braxton as Himself
Background and release
On September 15, 2015 it was announced Lifetime Network green lighted the original movie, based on Toni Braxton's memoir "Unbreak My Heart".[3][4] The film was shot in Vancouver, Canada during fall 2015 confirmed by Braxton in an interview with ABC News.
"I tried to stay away from the film's set in Vancouver as much as possible. "I didn't want to make Lexi uncomfortable. I wanted her to be relaxed playing me and it was really hard for me to be objective," she explained of her absence."
— Toni Braxton, ABC News[5]
In early December, 2015, Braxton announced the premiere date for the biopic on her Instagram account.[6] On December 17, 2015 the trailer was released.[7] On January 23, 2016 the biopic premiered in the United States on Lifetime TV and April 23, 2016 in the United Kingdom on Lifetime UK.[8]
Reception
Critical reception
Hollywood.com gave a mixed response towards the biopic stating "Toni Braxton's biopic was like watching whip lash – heavily censored whip lash. There were so many parts left out that watching the movie felt like a parody at times. The casting wasn’t much better but aside from these glaring issues, the movie was very well watched and anticipated."[9]
Ratings
The film's premiere generated 3.6 million viewers, earning the highest rating for an original movie with adults ages 25–54, women 25-54 and women 18-49 since "Whitney," the January 2015 biopic on Whitney Houston.[10]
Home media
Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart was released digitally on to Amazon on January 22, 2016 and to DVD under the title Toni Braxton: The Movie Event on June 14, 2016 available in region 1 (U.S and Canada only).[11][12]
References
- ^ "Toni Braxton Unbreak My Heart Full Cast and Credits". Hollywood.com. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- ^ "About Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart - mylifetime.com". mylifetime.com. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- ^ "Toni Braxton to Star in Lifetime Biopic". Rap Up. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
- ^ "Toni Braxton's Life Story Heading To Lifetime As Original Movie". Deadline.com. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
- ^ "Toni Braxton Reveals What She Learned from Creating 'Unbreak My Heart' Biopic". ABC News. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- ^ "Toni Braxton announces Biopic premiere date, Jan 23, 2016 UnbreakMyHeart". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-24. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
- ^ "Watch the Trailer for Toni Braxton's Lifetime Biopic". BET. Retrieved December 17, 2015.
- ^ "Tonight on Lifetime UK 10pm the UK get the premiere of Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart! Don't miss it". Facebook. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "REVIEW: Toni Braxton biopic "Unbreak My Heart" was disappointing but well watched". Hollywood.com. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ "Toni Braxton biopic earns high ratings". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved January 25, 2016.
- ^ "Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart". Amazon. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
- ^ "Toni Braxton: The Movie Event [DVD + Digital]". Amazon. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
External links
- Official Page
- Toni Braxton: Unbreak my Heart at IMDb