Definitely, Maybe
- Title: Definitely, Maybe
- IMDB: link
“I’m going to tell you the story and I’m changing all the names, and I’m not telling you who your Mom is.”
“I like it; it’s like a love story mystery”
Okay, here’s where I usually blast contrived romantic comedies like this one. And although Definitely, Maybe does fall into that category the level of talent involved and the sheer joy of the tale make it a far more enjoyable experience than it has any right to be.
On the eve of his divorce Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) tries to explain love and relationships to his precocious daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin).
Will recounts a bedtime story of his relationships with three women (Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher, Rachel Weisz), one of which is Maya’s mother. Changing names and small facts Maya analyzes her father’s romantic history and tries to guess the identity of her mother, and try to figure out just what’s wrong with her father.
With a premise like that I thought I might be pulling my hair out by the time the film moved into the second act, but although the story is a tad contrived (and at times just too cute for words) it’s balanced by a darn good cast and Reynolds’ ability to find chemistry with each of his leading ladies.
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I’m not sure if America needed to revisit the casting of 
I have a confession to make; my favorite Tom Hanks movie isn’t Forrest Gump, Big, Philadelphia, Apollo 13, The Terminal, Splash, or Sleepless in Seattle. My favorite Hanks film is 1985’s The Man with One Red Shoe. Now, I’d never argue it’s his best movie, but for my money its sheer enjoyment value is off the charts. A great farce, fun suspense, Jim Belushi losing his mind, Carrie Fisher in a leopard print bikini, and an off-beat love story make this a great addition to anyone’s DVD collection.
Garden State is one of those films I missed in the theaters and hunted down on DVD after a number of people had recommended it to me. I’m so glad I did! Zach Braff’s first time as writer/director produces a truly great romantic comedy with a heart bigger than even an infinite abyss.