Definitely, Maybe [WS]

Director: Adam Brooks Adam Brooks

Overview

A political consultant in the midst of a bitter divorce attempts to delicately divulge the truth about his past relationships to his curious young daughter, who simply won't stop asking questions until she's satisfied with all the answers. Ten-year-old Maya (Abigail Breslin) is heartbroken to see her parents splitting up, but she's determined to find out precisely how it was that mom and dad came together in the first place. When Maya starts questioning her father Will (Ryan Reynolds) about his life before marriage, dad's memories soon drift back to the time when, as a na?ve Wisconsin native and aspiring politician hoping to work on the presidential election, he first arrived in New York City. As Will gradually became savvy to the ways of the big city, he gradually developed romantic relationships with three very different women: Emily (Elizabeth Banks) was the girl-next-door that he could always depend on, apolitical April (Isla Fisher) was the best friend and confidante who was always there to listen, and free-spirited journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz) was both beautiful and ambitious. In order to prevent his perceptive little girl from predicting the outcome before his story is told, Will carefully changes the names of his three romantic interests, creating a hopelessly romantic puzzle that highlights both the joys and hardships of true love.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/24/2008
UPC:	0025195004503
Original Release:	2008
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	STUDIO DISTRIBUTION SERVS LLC
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:51:00
Sales rank:	43,708

Special Features

Creating a romance; The changing times of "Definitely, Maybe"; Feature commentary with director Adam Brooks and star Ryan Reynolds; Deleted scenes and much more!

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ryan Reynolds	Will Hayes
Rachel Weisz	Summer Hartley
Isla Fisher	April
Derek Luke	Russell T. McCormack
Abigail Breslin	Maya Hayes
Elizabeth Banks	Emily
Kevin Kline	Hampton Roth
Marc Bonan	Kevin
Kevin Corrigan	Simon
Jamie Tirelli	Rafael
Daniel Eric Gold	Charlie
Adam Ferrara	Gareth
Annie Parisse	Anne
Liane Balaban	Kelly
Nestor Serrano	Arthur Robredo
Alexie Gilmore	Olivia
Dale Leigh	Bill Clinton
An Nguyen	Ad Exec
Sakina Jaffrey	School Mom
Melisa McGregor	Bartender
Joshua Caras	1994 Intern
Orlagh Cassidy	Nurse
Max Pomeranc	Roberdo Campaign Waitress
Robert Klein	Himself
Emily Wickersham	1998 Intern
Adam Brooks	Bookstore Owner
Clint Mansell	Composer
Geraldine Bartlett	School Parent
James Biberi	School Parent
Mercedes Herrero	School Parent
Sarah Hudnut Brody	School Parent

Technical Credits

Adam Brooks

Adam Brooks	Director,Screenwriter
Ali Farrell	Casting
Bobby Cohen	Producer
Kerry Orent	Producer
Laura Rosenthal	Casting
Liza Chasin	Producer
Randy Balsmeyer	Special Effects,Special Effects
Michael Barosky	Sound Effects
David Boulton	Sound Effects
Leif Riddell	Stunts

Editorial Reviews

In subject matter alone, Definitely, Maybe is a lot like "How I Met Your Mother: The Movie." A cleverly structured story told by a father, in which he challenges his daughter to identify her mother from among three different love interests, would be more than enough to sustain a good date movie released just in time for Valentine's Day. Yet writer-director Adam Brooks isn't content with something so conventional. In fact, he's also managed to make Definitely, Maybe a period piece involving the presidency of Bill Clinton. Going well beyond expectations, Brooks uses the politician's tumultuous career as a metaphor for how the bloom comes off the rose in any courtship, making Clinton a narrative touchpoint -- from fresh-faced candidate to weary veteran strung up by his own semantics. It's an apt metaphor, as Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is divorcing his wife, meaning the story within the story will have an unhappy ending. If this sounds too ambitious or a bit of a bummer, that's underestimating Brooks' bright writing and finesse with his attractive and charming cast. The role of romantic leading man suits Reynolds just fine; in fact, the actor seems relieved to abandon the over-the-top schtick of his past roles. Whether Will's in the arms of April (Isla Fisher), Emily (Elizabeth Banks), or Summer (Rachel Weisz), the exchanges are lively and funny. What's more, Brooks does a decent job creating suspense over the identities of both his wife and his true love. Most viewers will pick up on where the clues point -- conventionally structured as those clues must be -- but that doesn't make the journey any less enjoyable. Fisher, Banks, and Weisz see to that, with a little help from a precocious Abigail Breslin as Will's daughter, and an acerbic Kevin Kline as a boozy college professor.