More than a maybe

Of all the movies in which actor Ryan Reynolds has ever starred, among them “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” (2004) and “Just Friends” (2005), “Definitely, Maybe” is definitely, maybe his best.

Reynolds plays alongside child actress Abigail Breslin in this family comedy about an ambitious guy whose life is falling apart. Will Hayes (Reynolds) hates his job, is on the verge of divorcing his college sweetheart (Elizabeth Banks) and finds himself telling his 10-year-old daughter, Maya Hayes, the story of his mess of a love life, but not before changing the names of his past lovers in order to let her guess which character her mother is in the story.

This story becomes more than just Will reliving his past, but the determination of a young girl to uncover the reason her parents’ relationship is ending, and whether or not there is anything she can do about it. Soon, the viewer is just as involved as Maya in Will’s story, wishing for him to end up with the right girl, and for a happy ending.

One of the best things about “Definitely, Maybe” is the way in which the viewer is able to see Will’s character evolve through his telling of the story. We see how idealistic he is as a young man, with dreams that don’t exactly come true, and how it takes three women and several mistakes for him to figure out what he really wants out of life.

Breslin’s presence in the movie is what sets it apart and gives it that extra dose of comedy. She and Reynolds have great chemistry onscreen, and watching her facial expressions and his reactions to the things her character says is truly heartwarming. Her character captures the viewer’s heart from the very beginning with her witty comments and the charmingly manipulative way she persuades her dad to tell her the story of how he and her mother fell in love, got married and eventually had her.

What seems at first to be just another romantic comedy turns out, at its heart, to be a movie about a little girl and her dad. The story they share is so genuine and true to real life that everyone can find some little piece in which to relate. “Definitely, Maybe” will touch your heart, move you to tears and definitely keep your smile wide and your laughter loud.