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Movies / On DVD / Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe

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Definitely, Maybe (2008)

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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

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Reviews for Definitely, Maybe

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1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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A romantic comedy that manages to be cute without sending viewers barrelling into the bathroom to toss their cookies.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
02/12/08
Paul Arendt
Paul Arendt
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Definitely a comedy, maybe a romance -- has enough sophistication and surprise to keep even the most hardened curmudgeon smiling to the bittersweet end.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/01/08
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Sweet, funny, simple, entertaining -- everything a good rom-com should be. Definitely...

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/08/08
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's sweet natured and brightly played.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
10/18/08
Xan Brooks
Xan Brooks
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An unusually soulful and appealing romantic comedy.

Full Review Source: Screen International | comment Comment
02/06/08
Allan Hunter
Allan Hunter
Screen International

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.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
02/07/08
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Sweet, charming...and not particularly funny for even a moment.

Full Review Source: Antagony & Ecstasy | comment 1 Comment
02/25/08
Tim Brayton
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy

Reynolds has consistently ranked among the top unsung comedic actors of his era.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
02/14/08
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

Definitely, Maybe is definitely a cut above your standard-issue genre fare, maybe way above.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
02/13/08
Bill Goodykoontz
Bill Goodykoontz
Arizona Republic

A surprisingly clever romantic comedy that starts brightly but unfortunately loses its spark at the end.

Full Review Source: Associated Press | comment Comment
02/13/08
Christy Lemire
Christy Lemire
Associated Press

[Adam] Brooks has had a sporadic career, but when he suddenly resurfaces, he usually provides zesty dialogue and intriguing characters.

Full Review Source: Atlantic City Weekly | comment Comment
03/27/08
Lori Hoffman
Lori Hoffman
Atlantic City Weekly

When you’re maybe just about ready to fully endorse the film, it gives in to some generic romantic-comedy frippery that punctures a hole in its own believability.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
02/14/08
Kimberly Jones
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle

Put simply, the film excels most at not being awful.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
02/14/08
Scott Tobias
Scott Tobias
AV Club

Definitely, Maybe adds some welcome spice to a genre that rarely ventures beyond the predictable anymore.

Full Review Source: Baltimore Sun | comment Comment
02/14/08
Chris Kaltenbach
Chris Kaltenbach
Baltimore Sun

A film that at once embraces formula and, in critical scenes, dismisses it all together.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
03/09/08
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Halfway through Kevin Kline shows up in a performance of such vitality and honesty that it shows how two-dimensional the rest of the movie is.

Full Review Source: Beliefnet | comment Comment
02/14/08
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Beliefnet

It won't be on anybody's 10-best list at the end of the year. But it's agreeable and engaging and real enough in the right smallish ways, and it has an emotional maturity at odds with the high-grade plastic from which it's constructed.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
02/14/08
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

[Definitely, Maybe has] a largess of characters and themes and a genuine desire to explore them, good intentions that earn the film a grudging pass.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
02/19/08
Mark Keizer
Mark Keizer
Boxoffice Magazine

More how Harry met Sally than when, the above average Definitely, Maybe may not be destined to be a great comedy classic, but this valentine earns every sweet and believable moment.

Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com

At least it's a narrative device with a mystery. It's How I Met Your Mother, but still.

Full Review Source: Can Magazine | comment Comment
02/14/08
Fred Topel
Fred Topel
Can Magazine
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by source; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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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. Opens in new window
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. Opens in new window
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...

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