Why is Definitely, Maybe a charming, affecting film? In one sense, it is a stereotypical romantic comedy, including being not funny. In another it is rather preposterous: Why should a father spend so much time telling his daughter the story of who her mother is when she already knows who her mother is!? Yet the movie works.
First, the three women in Will Hayes’ life (Ryan Reynolds) do an excellent job of acting. (I have long asked myself this deep philosophical question: What gorgeous, seductive Hollywood starlet does not have the experience to play a romantic role!?) Also, all three women are complex and interesting characters: sometimes we like them, and sometimes we don’t—how realistic! So the high school sweetheart is so loving and tender (Elizabeth Banks) that she has an affair with Will’s roommate as soon as Will goes to New York to work on the Bill Clinton campaign (1992). Her motivation, as we discover late in the movie in my favourite-scene with her, is that she is scared of all Will’s big plans to be President etc. In the same scene, I also love it when she admits how awkward and difficult she has found romance since that break up—no matter the academic qualifications and the career success and the good looks. And the photocopy girl in the campaign headquarters, April (Isla Fisher), is superficial, but then profound, deeply attracted to Will and then standoffish. I particularly liked the way the movie made is seem logical that an overachieving, ambitious, political person like Will and a slacker like her were incompatible when you could sense that there was a deep attraction and kindness in their relationship. And Summer (Rachael Weicz) is too independent, but then seemly deeply in love with Will. Again, my favourite scene is near the end of the movie when Will attends her trendy party and she starts to kindle old flames with him. He calls her “game,” says he wants to skip it and the heartbreak, and just be friends. This brief exchange is refreshingly different and a manifestation of how Will has, slowly and not so surely, grown.
Of course, if Ryan Edwards as Will could not hold up to these accomplished actresses, the movie would collapse. He does, but in a subtlety profound way. He is not Hollywood star material, and is, as James Berardinelli notes, “adequate.” Whereas Berardinelli means this as a criticism, I mean it as a strength. I think Will represents a lot of idealistic, highly intelligent, well-educated males today: he is a failure. Ryan Edwards’ basic insecurity as an actor and as a Canadian serve him well in portraying a guy whose dreams have evapourated.
Definitely, Maybe also holds your attention with suspense. It is presented as “who is your mother?” but, of course, she already knows who mother was/is. The deeper question is “who did Will really love”? Although Will loved all three wonderful women, one love was of a somewhat (carefully chosen word) deeper love.
The stories are told in flash back—please rescue us from this ill-conceived technique—but here is works powerfully. The story is, in essence, of a guy and three women making lots of juvenile mistakes in their twenties. The profundity comes when you realize that these romantic liaisons affected and still affect a child (Abigail Breslin).
This is largely a tale of 20’s romances, and I am long past that ephemeral stuff. But here is gains resonance because a young girl is trying to prevent her parents’ divorce and find her dad happiness.