I’ve not been in the mood to see a real in-your-face romance lately.
However, I’ve been a fan of funny man Ryan Reynolds since 2002 when he made his debut in “Van Wilder.”
So, I went to see “Definitely, Maybe.” I wanted to laugh a little, come out with a warm, fuzzy feeling; like the kind you were brainwashed to get as a child when you watched “Full House” or “Family Matters” and the ever-present climactic tune played in the background while parents and children resolved their problems.
It sounds cliché but we all need a little pre-packaged happiness when life goes pear-shaped. That’s the point of entertainment really.
Well, mission accomplished. I did feel rather pleasant and left smiling after the credits rolled.
“Definitely, Maybe” is a cute father/daughter/romance film, as odd as that sounds.
Ryan Reynold’s character, Will Hayes, is recently divorced with only one woman in his life: his daughter, Maya, played by Abigail Breslin, the new up and coming young actress who shone like a small diamond in “Little Miss Sunshine.”
Reynolds gets a second chance at love by reliving his past relationships through an off-the-wall bedtime story told to his daughter.
Rachel Weisz (“The Mummy,” “The Fountain”) played one of Reynolds past loves. She sparkled in the role of the free-thinking journalist, putting her job before love. It was believable and quite impressive actually. She was actually my favorite character in the story within a story.
Elizabeth Banks played Sara or was it Emily? It was rather confusing since Reynolds changed the names for his watered down version of his life for Breslin. Either way, she played his recent ex-wife and mother of his daughter. I can’t say much about her besides that.
Isla Fisher (“Wedding Crashers”) played April, his best friend and one true love. I liked her rather well. Granted she wasn’t as funny as some of her past roles but she was intriguing as “the best friend secretly in love” with Reynolds. Typical, but compelling nevertheless.
Talking about the three women in his life, Reynolds learns more about himself, he finds his future by looking to the past.
The story is touching, the plot rather confusing and the characters oddly endearing. Overall it was a good little film. Not one of the greatest romance movies ever written, but good for a smile, good for the soul. Kind of like a Campbell’s soup commercial.
If I were you, I wouldn’t spend $8 but I would definitely hit up a matinee showing for good measure.
I would like to see movies that you all, the students are wondering about. We’re all on a tight budget and we’d like to know if the juice is worth the squeeze when it comes to entertainment.
So write in, let me know what you want to hear about and I’ll go see it. Send your requests to ETeditor@mail.etsu.edu.

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