What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? is a 1999 film directed by Ian Mune and starring Temuera Morrison as an abusive Māori husband, Jake "the Muss" Heke. The film is based on Alan Duff's novel What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? (1996), the sequel to Once Were Warriors (1990) which was made into the film Once Were Warriors (1994).

Plot

Jake "the Muss" Heke is fighting to save his son, Sonny, from a gang lifestyle after his eldest son, Nig, is killed in a gangland shootout. Jake goes through a period of hopelessness as he tries to restore his family to a functioning state after his anger, drinking, and violence (depicted in the first film) tore them apart. He still has trouble accepting the old traditional ways of the Māori people, but he begins to realise the importance of family and regrets what his former actions have done to them. Towards the end of the film, Jake does his best to reconcile with his family, even going so far as to save his son's life despite great personal risk to himself. This action, along with several others, serve to highlight Jake's changing characteristics.