Entertainment

Published on Wednesday, February 27, 2008

movies

'Definitely, Maybe' definitely predictable, still worth seeing
By JEN HANCE

“Definitely, Maybe”
Rating: 8/10

Staring
Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Wiesz

The Plot
William Hayes’ (Reynolds) daughter, Maya (Breslin), wants to know the entire story of her father’s relationships before she was born. Hayes agrees, and a game ensues as she tries to piece together the stories and figure out which of the three loves in his life is her mother.

The Good
The movie is a sweet love story that could have been overly cheesy, but was done tastefully and with enough humor to make it a movie guys can also sit through. Reynolds plays a dashing young romantic and he’ll leave female audience members swooning over his good looks and witty, sarcastic remarks.
The three women of his life are also well–cast, with vivacious actresses such as Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher and Rachel Wiesz are each set apart by their hair color and contrasting personalities.

Appealing greatly to Gen-Xers, “Definitely, Maybe” is a hodgepodge of ‘90s nostalgia. When Will first meets April (Fisher) they are working at Bill Clinton’s campaign office in 1992. The movie moves on through his life and the historical events of the ’90s, such as the Monica Lewinsky scandal and the rise and fall of Kurt Cobain. It is fun for young audience members to see a film documenting events that were so prevalent in their lives and this helps draw the viewers into the story even more.

The Bad
Unfortunately, the movie is rather predictable given that the audience knows from the start that Maya’s mother and father end up divorced. The attempts to make the rest of the movie a mystery fall short when Reynolds clearly lacks the chemistry with two of the leading ladies.

The Lowdown
The movie realistically shows that some relationships, no matter how great they may seem, are simply not meant to be. Yet, true love can find a way when you least expect it. “Definitely, Maybe” is a heartfelt romantic comedy with subtle twists and turns leading to the happily ever after this sweet story deserves.

Comment On This Article

All comments are moderated before being published. We will not edit your comments, but we also will not approve those that are abusive, off-topic, attack another poster or contain information we know to be libelous or false.

During peak weekday viewing times, most comments will be reviewed within six hours. For more detailed information, click here.

After submitting your comment, check below for a confirmation message.


  • Your name:
  • Enter text from image:
  • Your comment:
Sign up to receive Northern Star headlines in your inbox, delivered weekdays at 6 a.m.


Feedback? E-mail us.
Question of the Day
Do you think the media coverage of Barack Obama's campaign has been over the top?
Yes, Obama is everywhere.
No, he's been on equal playing field with John McCain.
I have not been following Obama's campaign.

Real-time updates of recently viewed articles on the site.

1  Norma Jean heads in new direction

2  Athletics names new football coach

3  Huskies face Fighting Irish in tough matchup...

4  Women's soccer remains coachless

5  Miller-Jobson leaves NIU, takes position at Baylor