Definitely, Maybe (Widescreen)

It's good for a Sunday afternoon home and wanting a little cool, chickish romance movie. Not much more than that, but perfectly good on that note.

The movie does an amazing thing. It has one guy with three different love interests over a period of several years and you root for all three women. The movie takes us through the 90s. The women are all bright, cute, strong, but vulnerable. Ryan Reynolds's character pretty much stays true to the woman he is currently romantically interested in and stays friends with the other two throughout the movie. The daughter is not only the impetus for the tellling of the story, she adds humor and a way to summarize the rather complicated plot for the audience. The actress does a good job.

Some of the scenes in the movie missed some times, but for the most part I was thoroughly entertained. The scene I enjoyed most is when the movie had Bill Clinton on TV showing him say "It depends on what your definition of 'is' is." Ryan's character, who was a big supporter, throws his chineses take out at the screen.

The movie was fun, the dialog was witty and I cared about the characters. It was pretty much what I wanted from a romanantic movie. It was not perfect, but definitely worth watching.

Definitely Maybe, July 24, 2008
By Nancy Brown Johnston "TripleWin" (Tennessee, USA) -

This was definitely, maybe a good romantic comedy - just fell a little short but was still cute.

Me
It is hard not to like the characters in this film...esp the women (I am a guy and do like romantic comedies). There is something about Isla Fisher (what is she doing with thay Sasha Baron Cohen guy) j/k.) that I like.
The part where he (Reynald's)says something to the effect that he did not see Isla Fisher's character going for someone like him...please. did she have to throw herself in front of a train to prove it.
We sure like when love conquors all.

Coming across as a breezy cross between Tom Hanks and Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds (Just Friends) is a likeable enough presence in this 2008 romantic comedy, but he simply lacks enough gravitas to be the compelling core of this story. While he doesn't suffer from the same degree of adolescent smugness plaguing Ashton Kutcher, Reynolds - frankly too young for this role - has one of those pliable personalities that fail to leave an indelible mark on the screen, which is too bad since the role requires someone who can ground the story at the same time he can elevate those around him. Fortunately, director/writer Adam Brooks doesn't leave his leading man high and dry since he cast three solid actresses as his various love interests, as well as the omnipresent Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine) as his doting daughter.

The time-flipping plot revolves around a bedtime story that soon-to-be-divorced political consultant Will Hayes tells his ten-year-old daughter Maya. Unaware of her parents' lives before their marriage, Maya wants to hear about their romance with an interest in sparking memories that will hopefully make him change his mind about the divorce. Since two other women play pivotal roles in his past, Will suddenly decides to change the names of all the people in his account, thus leaving Maya to guess which one is her mother. It's a charming gimmick but a gimmick nonetheless, which gives rise to the inevitable flashbacks. Surprisingly, this is where the film exceeds my expectations as it begins with Will leaving behind college sweetheart Emily in Wisconsin to work on Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. Brooks smartly draws parallels between the young idealist in Will and the imperfect public hero that Clinton became. In fact, this may be the first rom-com with a protagonist mirroring the emotional compromises felt during the Clinton years.

But make no mistake that this is a rom-com that can't wait to introduce romantic complications. First, there is Emily's friend and former lover Summer, an ambitious journalist already in a relationship with her thesis advisor Hampton Roth, a renowned and quite arrogant author. Her affection, however, comes at a price when it becomes a conflict of interest for Will. Then there's April, an underachieving free-spirit who runs the copier at the campaign office. Timing is the chief problem connecting these two as April shows more interest in friendship initially, while Will is inevitably unavailable whenever they consider connecting. Needless to say, things sort themselves out, but Brooks provides enough plot curves to make it all reasonably enjoyable. Elizabeth Banks - the horned-up bookstore clerk in The 40-Year-Old Virgin and soon to be Laura Bush in Oliver Stone's "W" - has the smallest key role as Emily, but she handles it serviceably. Although she seems to be slumming here, Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) effortlessly brings her confident allure to Summer.

But it's Isla Fisher - the clingy bridesmaid in Wedding Crashers - who walks away with the picture in a smart, sexy and often touching performance as April. Hers is the most developed character of the three women, and she takes full advantage. Breslin is relegated to a plot device as Maya, but she manages to overcome the bratty nature of her character. In a case of petty larceny in a youthful pool, a ham-fisted Kevin Kline steals his few scenes as Roth. The 2008 DVD offers several extras with Brooks and Reynolds offering a sometimes quite amusing commentary track. There are a couple of shorts - a disposable fluff piece called "Creating a Romance" and a much funnier featurette, "The Changing Times of Definitely, Maybe" that discusses fads and trends in the 1990's. There are also a handful of deleted scenes worth watching once to fill in a bit more context for the characters.

I just want to add an enthusiastic YES to all of the positive reviews..
So human, so loving....Wonderful,wise, warm,but flawed wonderful human beings with whom one enjoys spending time ..No one can see this film without being a wiser , more understanding human being for having had the experience...
Proof you don't need explosions, special effects or a bunch of obscenities to be entertaining...