Definitely Maybe (2008)

"All three actresses are appealing, but Fisher, proving her scene-stealing turn in Wedding Crashers was no fluke, shines brightest.  Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun
"...smart, funny, and (above all) uncommon. It's not hard to recommend this on Valentine's Day or at any other time.  James Berardinelli's ReelViews
"Keeps you interested in its characters and isn't afraid of complicating your sympathies a little.  Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
"A sophisticated story of disappointment and accommodation.  Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
"Sweet, funny, simple, entertaining -- everything a good rom-com should be. Definitely...  Sam Toy, Empire

Editor's Note Ryan Reynolds and a bevy of excellent actresses star in this smart and touching romantic comedy about a little girl trying to understand her father's complicated history with women. Will Hayes (Reynolds) is in the midst of a divorce, and his 11-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) wants to understand what went wrong with her parents' relationship. She begs her father to tell her the entire story of how he met her mother. Will begrudgingly agrees, but changes the names of everyone involved, leaving it up to Maya to decipher who in the story is her mother. Thus Will begins his tale, weaving a romantic and amusing maze of missed connections and bad timing with the likes of three beautiful women: Summer (Rachel Weisz), April (Isla Fisher), and Emily (Elizabeth Banks). Will bounces from relationship to relationship, misunderstandings and confusion thwarting him every step of the way. Who will he end up with? Which woman is ultimately right for him? The film keeps Maya and the viewer guessing right until the very end, with a bittersweet but ultimately triumphant surprise twist tying it all together. Reynolds has long outgrown his VAN WILDER days, and does an excellent job of holding his own with the talented Fisher, Weisz, and Banks. The film is certainly a stand-out from the current crop of romantic comedies, in that the women are intelligent, well-drawn characters, and the relationships are painted with a funny, but realistic eye. And blessedly, it doesn't end with the standard blowout wedding that has become the hallmark of such films. DEFINITELY, MAYBE is a smart and sexy take on the complexities of love, and still manages to be kid friendly, while sending a very positive, honest message to children of divorce.

	Abigail Breslin
	Derek Luke
	Elizabeth Banks
	Isla Fisher
	Kevin Corrigan
	Kevin Kline
	Rachel Weisz
	Ryan Reynolds
	Adam Brooks - Director
	Adam Brooks - Writer
	Bobby Cohen - Executive Producer
	Clint Mansell - Original Music By
	Florian Ballhaus - Cinematographer
	Peter Rogness - Art Director
	Peter Teschner - Editor
	Stephanie Carroll - Production Designer
	Tim Bevan - Producer

Empire
4 stars out of 5 -- "[With] a straightforward, well-crafted script played out by an excellent ensemble. It's funny enough not to be soppy, but with enough heart to be touching when it counts." 03/01/2008 p.56

New York Times
"[A] nimble and winning little romance....It navigates the choppy waters of modern courtship with commendable, understated honesty." 02/15/2008

Los Angeles Times
"[With] an interesting premise and an attractive cast..." 02/14/2008

USA Today
"[With] the preternaturally talented Breslin....[A] charming look at the vicissitudes of modern romance." 02/16/2008

Entertainment Weekly
"[K]eep your eyes on Banks, In a performance of invigorating complexity, her Emily is a breakthrough non-neurotic beauty..." -- Grade: B 02/22/2008 p.74

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he film is worth sticking with for the enchanting Breslin, some well-observed '90s detail and Kevin Kline's ripe turn as a philosophical lush." 04/01/2008 p.65

Rolling Stone
"Elizabeth Banks is better than good, Isla Fisher is better than funny, and Rachel Weisz...is a constant goddess..." 03/01/2008 p.63

Sight and Sound
"[T]he comedy is briskly effective....[T]he film's real strength is its quick-witted, carefully crafted dialogue." 04/01/2008 p.53

Los Angeles Times 6 of 10
For this slick romantic comedy has several things going for it, including an interesting premise and an attractive cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz. Getting all its elements to cohere, however, is too often just beyond its grasp...As written and directed by Adam Brooks, "Definitely, Maybe" introduces us to advertising man Will Hayes (Reynolds), an about-to-be-divorced New Yorker who considers his 10-year-old daughter Maya ("Little Miss Sunshine's" always effective Abigail Breslin) to be the love of his life...Though he's better known for being one of People magazine's sexiest men than for any of his feature work, Reynolds has an appealing romantic comedy presence that wears quite well. It's easy to see why the trio of women in his life are attracted to him, and it doesn't feel off-putting for him to have fallen for all of them as well...The actresses playing Will's women are also well cast, starting with wholesome-looking Elizabeth Banks as college sweetheart Emily...With a cast this engaging, "Definitely, Maybe" should be home free, but it isn't. As noted, it is more contrived than it ought to be and it also doesn't completely trust its warm moments. The film instead insists that its characters fall back on glib one-liners and slick situations that are not the way to anyone's heart. - Kenneth Turan

Reel.com 10 of 10
Writer-director Adam Brooks turns his clock back to 1992 to explain how Will, a gopher on Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign, eventually met Maya's mother. The film has fun guarding its slight riddle regarding the matriarch's identity, presenting three winsome women who could be "the one"...Brooks built his career writing romantic comedies such as French Kiss (with Kline), Wimbledon, and the Bridget Jones sequel. He takes a novel approach to what amounts to a familiar tale, framing Definitely, Maybe as a bedtime story Will tells to Maya. Reynolds has never been more appealing as both a father to Breslin and an affable romantic lead to his three gorgeous (and lovable) co-stars...Definitely, Maybe will sprinkle its pixie dust over anyone who took their own circuitous path to true love. As a storyteller, Brooks happily detours down a few stray alleyways of his own, though these asides give the movie an unanticipated flavor. He approaches his film like Woody Allen's second cousin twice removed, letting the funky, comfortable heartbeat of New York City provide a suitable rhythm for his work...Because I thought I knew how it would end, I let my guard down and was completely surprised by the sweet, happy finale, which Brooks and his cast definitely earn. - Sean O'Connell