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February 22, 2008 > Arts & Entertainment > Definitely, Maybe, then again maybe not

Definitely, Maybe, then again maybe not

By Jackie Ammons | Thresher staff

Maybe Abigail Breslin (No Reservations) is charming in Definitely, Maybe. Maybe the plotline surpasses that of an ordinary chick flick. Nevertheless, the film is definitely annoying due to leading actor Ryan Reynolds’s amateur level acting skills and his character’s inability to make up his mind.

Definitely, Maybe begins with Reynolds (Chaos Theory) as William Hayes fielding his daughter’s (Breslin) questions prompted by her sex education class. With his own divorce pending, Hayes responds to his daughter’s questions by telling Maya all three of his serious relationships: the college sweetheart (Fred Claus’ Elizabeth Banks), a magazine writer (The Constant Gardener’s Rachel Weisz) and a copy assistant at Bill Clinton’s New York campaign headquarters (Hot Rod’s Isla Fisher).

The main flaw in Definitely, Maybe is Reynolds. His acting talents just rub the audience the wrong way, as he comes off as less mature than eleven-year-old Breslin. Reynolds’ voice is often whiney, and when he supposed to be acting sad, his facial expressions are that of a pitiful little boy who was not invited to a friend’s birthday party. Further, Reynolds’ plastic, pretty boy face and nonexistent five-o’clock shadow just lend extra enforcement to the immature impression he exudes on screen.

While his adolescent personality may give credit to the fact that his character’s fickle nature — he is constantly in and out of relationships, after all — his character’s indecisive and juvenile behavior contributes to the audience’s annoyance. On a basic level, Hayes constantly complains, plays stupid jokes and has an inability to propose to the right girl at the right time in the right way.

More seriously, Hayes has trouble making the right decisions at the right time, flipping back and forth among three girls who repeatedly enter and exit and reenter the plotline that is his life. These constant plot twists cause the viewers to grow weary and want to slap Hayes into making up his mind and end their misery.

On the other hand, Breslin is not only adorable but an amazing actress. As one of the youngest actresses to be nominated for an Academy Award for her role in 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine, Breslin’s mix of childish naivete and serious maturity find an interesting meeting point in a young actress that charms audiences. With her convincing tears and bold confidence, Breslin gives the older Reynolds much-needed acting lessons.

Aside from Breslin, the only other positive factor in Definitely, Maybe is its divergence from the typical chick flick plot. There are more twists and turns than one would normally expect from such a film. However, these twists actually make the movie more frustrating, since they usually stem from Hayes’ indecision and the overly dramatic roles his girlfriends play in his life.

Definitely, Maybe is not an absolute failure, but it comes pretty close. What’s sad is that the thing that saves the film from complete embarrassment is an eleven year-old girl.

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