Definitely, Maybe (2008) [PG-13] ****

Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) is a 30-something New York City dad in the midst of a divorce, when his 10-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) begins to question him about his life before marriage, after her primary school class has a sex education class. Maya wants to know how Will and her mother met and fell in love. So, Will begins his story fifteen years earlier, when he was a young, idealistic college graduate who moved from Wisconsin to NYC to work on the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign.

Will gives Maya the PG-rated version of the realities of big-city politics, as well as his romantic relationships with three very different women. He changes their names so Maya will have to guess which of the three he finally married: Emily (Elizabeth Banks), the dependable girl-next-door who was Will's college sweetheart; April (Isla Fisher), the campaign co-worker who has been Will's longtime friend and confidante; or Summer (Rachel Weisz), the ambitious, free-spirited journalist who was Emily's college roommate. As Will tells Maya the story, she puts the romantic puzzle pieces together and begins to understand that love is neither simple nor easy. And, eventually, Maya helps her father understand that it's definitely not too late for his story to have a happy ending.

Written and directed by the talented and prolific Adam Brooks (French Kiss, Practical Magic, Wimbledon, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason), the story features a clever screenplay, sensitive direction and editing, excellent production values, and terrific performances. Ryan Reynolds has great romantic chemistry with both Isla Fisher and Rachel Weisz, and Abigail Breslin steals virtually every scene in which she appears. If you enjoyed No Reservations, another film in which Abigail Breslin plays a matchmaker role, then you will very likely enjoy Definitely, Maybe. 

Labels: comedy, drama, rom-drama-faves, romance    
Internet Movie Database 7.2/10    
Metacritic 59/100    
RottenTomatoes Averages (critics=65, viewers=70)    
Blu-ray