Definitely, Maybe (Widescreen)

Its hard not to like Ryan Reynolds. This movie was just plain ok, nothing special. There are very few funny lines. Poor Kevin Kline looks like he arose from the dead.

It was worth the $1.49 rental fee, nothing more.

When reviewing books and movies, one needs to judge each one on its own terms. Not every movie can be "Casablanca" just as not every book is "Crime and Punishment." Judged by the aims of the makers of this movie, which I take to be to provide an evening of mildly intelligent, pleasant, harmless entertainment, it is a success.
No, it's not great -- it's merely good. The acting is fine, the actors are attractive and engaging and the script intelligent enough to keep you watching to the end.
All romances depend on the supposition that for each person there is that unique "soulmate" who alone can provide a happy and fulfilling life. The protagonist of this movie is faced by three contenders -- which one will he end up with? As he blunders from one romance to the next, never quite finding THE ONE, we hang in with him, knowing of course that it will all turn out OK.
One thing I liked in this movie was the juxtoposition of various developments in Bill Clinton's career (the hero works for the 1992 Clinton campaign) through the Monica scandal and onward. (We briefly also glimpse our current president in a 1992 clip looking goofy and idiotic. We should have paid more attention.) The hero gains wisdom even as his youthful illusions about Clinton are gradually destroyed.
Bottom line: watch this on the couch with your beloved over a bowl of popcorn, then give him/her a nice big kiss and go to bed happy.

The story drags for the first 3/4, it seems like forever. Some sweet moments but story political envolvement outweighs the entertainment.

'Definitely Maybe' is sweet, funny, and surprisingly honest. As a father with daughters, I really felt like the movie captured the dynamic of a good father-daughter relationship well. I knew I was really into it when I actually got mad at the main character (Ryan Reynolds) for not doing something, and then realized I knew exactly why he did it the way he did it, and I might even have done the same...foolish as it was.

Its not really a complex story, but full of the little complexities that make life interesting. The ups and downs of relationships, the random chances that turn into life-altering decisions, and the choices people make for themselves and for those around them -- they're all here, somewhat condensed and simplified of course, to make them more digestible in the short span of time the movie takes. It takes a lifetime to really explore some of these things, but 'Definitely Maybe' does a fine job in the time it has.

The little girl is charming and wonderful and surprised me more than once, the lead actor shows surprising depth, and each of the three women add extra dimension to the story. Rachel Weisz is particularly good in her role, and stunning as always.

For dads and daughters, for a little romance, for a good laugh, for an honest look at life and relationships...'Definitely Maybe' is a great little movie, for many reasons.

(2.5 *'s) All's not fair in love and politics. That may be the newfangled saying of romantic dramedy `Definitely, Maybe' an episodic, story-telling film about the hopes and disappointments of aspiring Democratic campaign worker and lover, Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds).

Adorable as usual, Abigail Breslin plays his daughter, Maya, and as typical of other Breslin performances, her character is precocious, but lovable. The movie starts with Will picking her up at school where a ruckus ensues after some controversial sex-ed lessons have taken place. Although progressive, Will has difficultly hearing his daughter talk so explicitly about sex as they arrive home. Yet all this leads up to a discussion about her origins.

The rest of movie has Will telling her the story of how he met her mother. For her this is an important point about her indirectly stated desire to be loved and not thought as a fluke or an accident. Starting back from 1988 when as a student in Madison, WI he campaigned hard for Dukakis's victory for President and Vice President George H.W. Bush's defeat, he also marks his romantic journey. In Madison he falls in love with Emily (Elizabeth Banks) who shares his passion for the campaign and romance.

Ambition, however, delivers an unsteady hand as he fast-forwards to 1992 when Will sets his sites on New York City and his hopes on Bill Clinton. Starting at the bottom, he's known as "The T.P. Guy," at campaign headquarters, replenishing supplies and getting coffee and bagels. Experience, however, gets him to do more and soon he is calling for donations. It also gives him a chance to meet other women. April Hoffman (Isla Fisher) is the copy girl who is independent romantically as she is politically. Then, there's Summer Hartley (Rachel Weisz) who's romantically attached to Hampton Roth, a professor providing a spring-autumn live in relationship where Summer is closer to spring. In the mix are diaries and an intimate note in a copy of 'Jane Eyre' that try to bind all these romances together.

I found myself liking the characters in 'Definitely, Maybe'. I could also appreciate the real life importance of the proceedings. Just as we know it, Will is ready and available when his loved one isn't, and when he's on the mend, she isn't and vice versa. Ambiguity is well documented, and commitments are difficult to keep at best. The movie's not only bookmarked by exchanged books, but the music as well. R.E.M.'s "Stand" heralds 1988; "Come as You Are," pinpoints 1992 with Nirvana, etc. In love and politics, the players get what they put into it. Clinton and Lacredo aren't permanent or perfect and neither are the lovers in one`s everyday life. I enjoyed the characters, the humor, and the developments, but sometimes I thought 'Definitely, Maybe' was slight at times and could have delivered more. Well, did I like the movie? Maybe and maybe not...