Definitely, Maybe (2008) Ryan Reynolds Will Hayes Abigail Breslin Maya Hayes Derek Luke Russell T. McCormack Isla Fisher April Elizabeth Banks Emily Rachel Weisz Summer Hartley Liane Balaban Kelly Kevin Kline Hampton Roth Marc Bonan Kevin Adam Ferrara Gareth Alexie Gilmore Olivia Daniel Eric Gold Charlie Sakina Jaffrey School Mom Annie Parisse Anne Keith Patterson Madison Party Friend Nestor Serrano Arthur Robredo Kevin Corrigan Simon matthew mason Headphone Guy Directed by: Adam Brooks Produced by: Liza Chasin, Bobby Cohen, Kerry Orent A thirtysomething Manhattan dad is in the midst of a divorce when his 10-year-old daughter, Maya, starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love: Will's story begins in 1992, as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on the presidential campaign. For Maya, Will relives his past as an idealistic young man learning the 'ins' and 'outs' of big city politics, and recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women. Will hopelessly attempts a gentler version of his story for his daughter, and changes the names so Maya has to guess who is the woman her father finally married. Is her mother Will's college sweetheart, the dependable girl next door Emily? Is she his longtime best friend and confidante, the apolitical April? Or is she the free-spirited but ambitious journalist Summer? As Maya puts together the pieces of her dad's romantic puzzle, she begins to understand that love is not so simple or easy. And as Will tells her his tale, Maya helps him to understand that it⿿s definitely never too late to go back--and maybe even possible to find a happy ending. ========== Romantic comedy: Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan dad is in the midst of a divorce when his 10 year old daughter, Maya, starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love. Will's story begins in 1992, as a young, starry-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on the Clinton campaign. For Maya, Will relives his past as a idealistic young man learning the ins and outs of big city politics, and recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women. On the campaign, Will's best buddy is Russell McCormack. They not only have similar political aspirations, they share the same type of girl problems, too. Will hopelessly attempts a "PG" version of his story for his daughter ad changes the names so Maya has to guess who he finally married. Is her mother Will's college sweetheart, the dependable girl next-door Emily? Is she his longtime best friend and confidante, the apolitical April? Or is she the free-spirited but ambitious journalist? As Maya puts together the pieces of her dad's romantic puzzle, she begins to understand that love is not so simple or easy. And as Will tells her his tale, Maya helps him to understand that it's definitely never too late to go back...and maybe even possible to find a happy ending. ========== On the day she has her first sex ed class, 10-year-old Maya grills her divorcing dad Will Hayes about her conception. That night, he fills her in, changing the names of the women who were in his life then to keep her guessing which is her mom: Emily, his college girlfriend when he came to New York from Wisconsin for Clinton's '92 campaign; April, edgy, a little cynical, who misses her father; and, Summer, a writer attracted to older, established men. In demanding the story, Maya's motivation is clear: to get her dad to fall in love again with her mom. Will this parent trap work? In the telling, might Will discover his true Penelope? Definitely. ========== 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?. 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 romantic comedies. The women are intelligent, well-drawn characters, and the relationships are painted with a funny, but realistic eye. Definitely, Maybe is a smart and sexy take on the complexities of love while sending a very positive, honest message to children of divorce.