Definitely, Maybe

"Fine, I'm gonna tell you the story, but I'm not telling you who your mom is."
"Fine!"
"You're just gonna have to figure it out for yourself."
"Good!"
"And I'm changing all of the names, and some of the facts. I just decided that right now. Then we'll see how smart you are."
"I like it, it's like a love story mystery."

After Maya's (Breslin) class has the sex talk at school, she asks her father Will (Reynolds) to tell her about his dating life / how he met her mother. His answer "it's complicated," doesn't work... so eventually he gives in, but (as the discussion/quote above suggests) makes a few changes to see if she (and the audience) can figure out who he married.

The three candidates are Emily (Banks), April (Fisher), and Summer (Weisz). Emily was his blonde, college sweetheart who he leaves in Wisconsin. He gets a job in New York for the Clinton campaign (it is the 1990's), moving through the ranks. April, the redhead, is the copy girl at the campaign who isn't a democrat and enjoys arguing / challenging Will. Summer, the brunette, is an old friend of Emily who is now a writing student and dating her much older professor Hampton Roth (Kline). Each woman is confident, attractive, and for a time unattainable (for various reasons). As he tells the story Will continues to weave his life and struggles with the relationships, at times revealing more than he planned (like the fact that he smokes).


I assumed this film would be like most chick flicks where you know within the first few scenes who will be together at the end...but while I had guesses, I was ultimately wrong. With every story, every encounter with the women Will seems to give away the answer, and like Maya you think you know who it is, and then he makes a mistake and messes up the relationship and you are confused. He doesn't always do or say the right thing...he messes up relationships (not the usual dribble found in these kinds of films), he hits the bottom and loses his way. I was comfortable not knowing the outcome, and the fact that he questioned his decisions (and job choices)...especially as someone who is still trying to figure that out. Ryan Reynolds is a charismatic leading man, able to carry the film. It is easy to see why these three women are in his life, and why his daughter loves him (and is able to ask such a difficult question). And I was pleasantly surprised by the women as well. Overall the film was much better than I imagined, more realistic while still giving you a hint of a fairy tale.

Rent it: it's not the typical chick flick...totally worthwhile
--: Will is very candid about his life (they swear, talk about sex, etc), without being obnoxious and too talky

Definitely, Maybe (2008) 112 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, including some frank dialogue, language and smoking.
Director: Adam Brooks
Starring: Ryan Reynolds as Will Hayes
Abigail Breslin as Maya Hayes
Elizabeth Banks as Emily
Isla Fisher as April
Rachel Weisz as Summer
Kevin Kline as Hampton Roth