Sweet, funny, simple, entertaining -- everything a good rom-com should be. Definitely...
Definitely, Maybe (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:138
Fresh:99
Rotten:39
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: With a clever script and charismatic leads, Definitely, Maybe is a refreshing entry into the romantic comedy genre.
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] Rated PG-13 for sexual content, including some frank dialogue, language and smoking.
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Comedies
Theatrical Release:08-02-2008
Synopsis: Ryan Reynolds and a bevy of excellent actresses star in this smart and touching romantic comedy about a little girl trying to understand her father's complicated history with women. Will Hayes... Ryan Reynolds and a bevy of excellent actresses star in this smart and touching romantic comedy about a little girl trying to understand her father's complicated history with women. Will Hayes (Reynolds) is in the midst of a divorce, and his 11-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) wants to understand what went wrong with her parents' relationship. She begs her father to tell her the entire story of how he met her mother. Will begrudgingly agrees, but changes the names of everyone involved, leaving it up to Maya to decipher who in the story is her mother. Thus Will begins his tale, weaving a romantic and amusing maze of missed connections and bad timing with the likes of three beautiful women: Summer (Rachel Weisz), April (Isla Fisher), and Emily (Elizabeth Banks). Will bounces from relationship to relationship, misunderstandings and confusion thwarting him every step of the way. Who will he end up with? Which woman is ultimately right for him? The film keeps Maya and the viewer guessing right until the very end, with a bittersweet but ultimately triumphant surprise twist tying it all together. Reynolds has long outgrown his VAN WILDER days, and does an excellent job of holding his own with the talented Fisher, Weisz, and Banks. The film is certainly a stand-out from the current crop of romantic comedies, in that the women are intelligent, well-drawn characters, and the relationships are painted with a funny, but realistic eye. And blessedly, it doesn't end with the standard blowout wedding that has become the hallmark of such films. DEFINITELY, MAYBE is a smart and sexy take on the complexities of love, and still manages to be kid friendly, while sending a very positive, honest message to children of divorce. [More]
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Derek Luke, Abigail Breslin, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks, Kevin Kline
Director: Adam Brooks
Director: Adam Brooks
Screenwriter: Adam Brooks
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner
Composer: Clint Mansell
Studio: Universal Pictures
Reviews for Definitely, Maybe
Definitely a comedy, maybe a romance -- has enough sophistication and surprise to keep even the most hardened curmudgeon smiling to the bittersweet end.
Enjoyable, emotionally engaging and frequently amusing romcom with a charming central performance from Ryan Reynolds and superb support from Abigail Breslin and the three lead actresses.
A romantic comedy that manages to be cute without sending viewers barrelling into the bathroom to toss their cookies.
This movie has little grasp of how human beings actually behave. And I don’t mean maybe.
All of the romantic scenes work here, but anytime it switched gears and started focusing on the politics, it lost me.
It's all been done before, and better. Furthermore, the nearly two full hours it takes to reach its foregone conclusion begins to pry on one's nerves.
If Brooks' attempts to replicate the magic of About a Boy weren't obvious by the end credits, the Badly Drawn Boy song will drive the point home.
[Reynolds] is -- once again -- better than his material, which relies too heavily on obvious sentimentality and lazy '90s nostalgia.
Maybe you'll enjoy this, but it's definitely no romantic comedy classic.
Definitely, Maybe has a certain bland appeal, provided you don’t mind that there isn’t one detail in the movie that has a faint ring of truth.
A mildly entertaining rom-com with obvious flaws, with nowhere near the out-of-the-candy-box approach to romance it purports to have.
Everything feels derivative and nothing rings true -- it's The Way We Weren't.
Releasing a movie on Valentine's Day can mean only one thing and, yes, Definitely, Maybe has it in big fragrant bouquets. Love, heartache and dollops of schmaltz.
Latest News for Definitely, Maybe
August 15, 2008:
SpanishTeaching.co.uk: A bittersweet bedtime story about at least three babes who broke a guy's heart during his hard knocks, early adult years, in addition to, well, Bill Clinton. ![]()
More...
June 23, 2008:
RT on DVD: A Killer Sopranos Set; WALL-E Gets a Friend
You thought the Sex and the City DVD collection was expensive? Start saving up for the ultimate Sopranos box set, coming this fall. Also look for a DVD spin-off from last... More...
June 18, 2008:
A bittersweet bedtime story about at least three babes who broke a guy's heart during his hard knocks, early adult years, in addition to, well, Bill Clinton. ![]()
More...
March 06, 2008:
Joan Cusack, John Goodman to Hear Isla Fisher's Confessions
It hasn't even been a month since Isla Fisher dazzled Ryan Reynolds in the Valentine's dramedy Definitely, Maybe, but she's already at work on her next film -- and she's got... More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Definitely, Maybe at Rotten Tomatoes
- Definitely, Maybe at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

