Definitely, Maybe (2008)
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A man tells his daughter stories of his past lovers to explain his impending divorce, only to realize which woman he truly loves.
The story
Will Hayes, an advertising executive in New York City, is navigating a divorce from his wife, Sarah. When his ten-year-old daughter, Maya, asks for the story of how her parents met, Will agrees to tell her, though he alters names and details to protect certain truths. The narrative shifts back in time, chronicling Will's journey from his college days in Wisconsin to his work on the Bill Clinton campaign in New York. As he recounts his various romantic entanglements with women like 'Emily' and 'April,' he attempts to guide his daughter through the complexities of his past while navigating the emotional fallout of his current life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Will Hayes, an advertising executive in New York City, is undergoing a divorce from Sarah. To help his daughter Maya understand their history, he tells her a fictionalized account of his past romances. The story reveals that in 1992, Will left his college sweetheart Emily to work on the Bill Clinton campaign, where he met April Hoffman. After a series of events involving a diary and a lost book, Will eventually proposed to Emily, but she rejected him. He later began a relationship with Summer, a journalist, but ended it when she threatened to leak a story that would ruin his political career. Years later, after falling into a depression, Will reunited with April. He eventually discovered that April's father had given her an inscribed copy of Jane Eyre, which he had spent years searching for. In the present, Maya realizes 'Emily' was actually her mother, Sarah. Will eventually reconciles with April, bringing Maya along to explain his feelings. They are finally welcomed into her apartment, and Will and April share a kiss.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- Germany; France; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Adam Brooks
- Writers
- Adam Brooks · writer
- Cast and characters
- Ryan Reynolds · Will Hayes; Isla Fisher · Sarah; Rachel Weisz · April Hoffman; Elizabeth Banks · Emily Jones; Abigail Breslin · Maya; Kevin Kline · Kevin; Derek Luke; Sakina Jaffrey · School Mom
- Genres
- romantic comedy; drama
- Themes
- romance; father-daughter relationships; marriage; political ambition
- Tone and mood
- romantic; sincere; non-formulaic
- Premise and plot tags
- romantic comedy; coming-of-age; family drama
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast performances, premise, and writing. It was described as a refreshing entry into the romantic comedy genre and a nimble, winning little romance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 71% · review count: 148; Metacritic · score: 59 · scale: 100 · review count: 33; CinemaScore · score: B+ · scale: A+ to F
- Production trivia
- The film solidified Ryan Reynolds as a leading man.; Principal photography began on October 2, 2006.; The film was released on DVD on June 24, 2008.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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