Here, at last, is a mainstream romantic comedy that may not be wholly successful but at least boasts a smidgen of originality. Soon-to-be-divorced New York advertising executive Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) adores his 10-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin), who has recently become obsessed with finding out how her parents first met, as well as the details of Will's romantic life beforehand. Although initially reluctant, Will agrees to recount his history in the form of a bedtime story, changing the names of all female participants and leaving it to Maya to guess which one turned out to be her mom. The likely suspects are his college sweetheart (Elizabeth Banks), an idealistic journalist (Rachel Weisz), and a free-spirited campaign worker (Isla Fisher) Will meets during Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential run. Writer-director Adam Brooks tells most of Will's story in flashback but holds back some key details, and—ultimately—the plot's resolution doesn't hinge on the identity of Maya's mother at all, as life has something else in store for the disillusioned ad man. The movie is perfectly cast, and while it occasionally falls back on glib patter and shopworn situations, Definitely, Maybe still displays more creativity than most of its ilk. Recommended. [Note: Available in either widescreen or full screen versions, DVD extras include audio commentary with director Adam Brooks and star Ryan Reynolds, a 13-minute “Creating a Romance” behind-the-scenes featurette, six minutes of deleted scenes, “The Changing Times” production design featurette (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a better-than-average romantic comedy.] (E. Hulse)
Definitely, Maybe
Universal, 112 min., PG-13, DVD: $29.99, June 24 Volume 23, Issue 4
Definitely, Maybe
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