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We all make choices in life, every day. Some are smaller and have little or no impact on the grand scheme, and some shake us to our foundation and alter the very balance of power in our lives and completely change the game. For one reason or another a few months back I embarked on a quest to find the first good romantic comedy of the season. I didn’t mean to, but after seeing so many bad ones, I imagined there had to be one out there sooner or later that didn’t make me want to reject my trade. Regrettably, my stubborn nature took over.
Well it happened. Dear God, it finally happened. But my personal victory notwithstanding, the movie isn’t completely without flaw.
The almost divorced Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) goes to tuck his annoyingly inquisitive daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) into bed one night and she starts in on him about wanting to hear the story of how he fell in love with her mother. Kinda like that TV show with the clever title – what was the name of it again? – oh yeah, How I Met Your Mother. He begins to tell the story, through flashbacks, of three loves in his past.
I remember reading an article somewhere one time that listed all these different types of women and it saying something about how men should try to date as many different types of these women as they can before they decide on “the one”. Seems like an obvious and skanky argument (wait, sorry – shaky. Never mind, skanky works) but Will must have read the same article because the three women he talks about are scattered across the board.
There’s old reliable, Emily (Elizabeth Banks), his college sweetie. The ambitious journalist, Summer (Rachel Weisz) with a penchant for sleeping with old men and young women. And April (Isla Fisher), the free spirited arty chick with whom he does/doesn’t/does/doesn’t have feelings for. Or a little bit like A Lot Like Love. The movie goes into his time juggling these three women at various points in his life leading up to now. It’s all well and good, but it’s like driving west across Colorado toward Denver, you see the end about an hour before you get there. And it does take a little longer to tell the story than it needs too. What does work, however, is the fact that none of the women are vilified. No one is painted an easy scapegoat for us to hate and root against. For one reason or another things just don’t work out with them at any given time. This happens in life and that it happens here makes this pill all the easier to swallow.
I don’t know what it is about movies, especially this type, that employs the use of kids as the voice of reason. This one is right out of the book where the kid seems to know more about what’s going on than the adults and find cute ways to tell them what is what in such a way that makes them feel stupid for ever not understanding. Sleepless in Seattle, anyone? Like I said, it isn’t groundbreaking cinema, but it serves its purpose and wasn’t terrible getting there.
This movie’s likability benefits greatly from the paltry comparisons to its romantic comedy brethren released so far this year. Take it for what it’s worth but I’d call it a win. By default, sure, but a win either way. At this point I’ll take what I can get.
And there’s the rub.
 1/2 |
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Definitely, Maybe
2008
Directed by:
Adam Brooks
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, An Nguyen, Matthew Mason, Ryder Chasin, Fiona Lane |
Written by:
Matt Booth
February 22, 2008 |
I recently surpassed 600 points on my Regal Entertainment Movie Card and received a FREE Movie Pass to be used on my next visit. Though this, and Free Popcorn on Tuesdays are nice perks, to be honest I have sat through some pretty boring movies recently, in search of a Good Movie to review and more Points.
Much to my DELIGHT, the new romantic comedy " Definitely, Maybe" with a comma,,,,,
starring Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, and a huge supporting cast of popular actors and actresses, filled my BILL!!
Ryan Reynolds plays WILL, a 30 something DAD, who is about to be divorced and makes the mistake of telling his young daughter, Maya, played by Abigail Breslin, about his troubles and Love interests to this point in his life. Maya can tell DAD is unhappy, and after much coaxing, he agrees to discuss his past love life in the form of a bedtime story, mystery style. The names are changed to protect the innocent, hah!
Maya must figure out which of the three women he describes in the story, becomes her mother. WILL is from the Midwest and has a High School sweetheart named Emily (Elizabeth Banks). They are planning to be married, but first WILL gets involved with the Bill Clinton political campaign and has to go to New York City for the summer. Here he meets and becomes friends with APRIL (Isla Fisher) and SUMMER (Rachel Weisz).
He tells Maya the story by the year including the ups and downs of his career.
He stays in touch or sees each of the 3 gals from time to time, but the relationships always end with a thud, until??
This movie is very entertaining and funny in a subtle kind of way. I was not familiar with Ryan Reynolds, but he hits a homer with his portrayal of WILL. The female actresses ALL make you fall in Love with them and are beautiful. Though this is only a hunch, I think one of the 3 actresses is jealous of Abigail Breslin, because of the money or stars status?? Can you guess which one? The crafty Kevin Kline has a supporting role as a heavy drinking Writer. I do not see why anyone wouldn't enjoy this film and I for one would have had to take SUMMER up on her offer!!!
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