The Break-Up Girl is the story of Nicole Taylor, a middle-aged mother of two teens who has put her dream of being a clothing designer on hold for years in order to raise her children. When her supportive husband unexpectedly passes away, she is forced to make a hard decision: give up the storefront she has just put a lease on to showcase her designs, or go back to the entertainment industry to keep the family afloat. Realizing she has to be the sole breadwinner of the household now, she takes an assistant job working at a talent agency for Tate Tatum, a child star turned heartthrob. She quickly learns that it’s up to her to help him maintain his clean public image, which means keeping track of his “date” book and making sure he doesn’t have to break any hearts himself face to face. She quickly becomes “The Break-Up Girl.”
The 24/7 demands of the job and struggles with fitting in as an older person in a young, tech savvy workplace quickly begin to wear on Nicole and her family. Their once close relationship begins to fray at the seams. Things get personal when she discovers Ruby, her college-bound eighteen-year-old, is Tate’s latest conquest. Nicole compromises her morals, Hollywood style, by setting up a social media scheme that she believes will save her from playing the role of break-up girl with her own daughter. This proves to be unnecessary when she discovers Ruby has already had the good sense and self-worth to end her relationship with Tate entirely on her own.
Further proof that bad behavior is rewarded in the industry, her manipulation unintentionally elevates her to a coveted agent position at the agency. This is the opposite of what she wants, but exactly what she needs for financial security. As fate would have it, her clothing designs go viral due to her relationships with Hollywood stars. Upon the advice of her children, she takes a chance, passes on the promotion and the industry, and finally decides to put all her energy into her passion: designing beautiful, unique couture for the every-woman. You’ve only got one life to live after all…We travel with Our Girl from despair and desperation to self-discovery and fulfillment, exploring how the roles of social media, “fandom,” and ageism influence self-image and can impede us from being true to ourselves while gently and lovingly poking the bear of the Hollywood machine.
