Definitely, Maybe
Definitely, Maybe is a 2008 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Adam Brooks, starring Ryan Reynolds as Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan father navigating a divorce who recounts his past romantic entanglements from the early 1990s to his 10-year-old daughter Maya in order to help her understand how he met her mother.[1] The film follows Will as he alters the names of the three women from his past—his college sweetheart Emily (Elizabeth Banks), free-spirited April (Isla Fisher), and ambitious journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz)—allowing Maya (Abigail Breslin) to guess which one became her mother, while reflecting on his own choices during the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign.[1] Produced by Working Title Films and distributed by Universal Pictures, with producers Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, the movie was filmed primarily in New York City and features supporting performances by Kevin Kline as Will's mentor Hampton Roth.[1][2] Released theatrically on February 14, 2008, in the United States, Definitely, Maybe opened in 2,204 theaters and earned $9.8 million in its first weekend, ultimately grossing $32.2 million domestically and $56 million worldwide against a reported budget of $24 million.[3] The film received generally positive reviews, holding a 71% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 147 critic reviews, with the consensus praising its "clever script and charismatic leads" as a refreshing take on the romantic comedy genre.[1] It also garnered a 7.1/10 average rating from over 180,000 users on IMDb, highlighting Reynolds' performance and the film's heartfelt exploration of love and regret.[4]Story and characters
Plot
The film opens in the present day with Will Hayes, a political consultant turned advertising executive in the midst of a divorce, facing questions from his 10-year-old daughter Maya about love, marriage, and her mother's identity after Maya learns about sex education at school. To help her understand his past without revealing too much, Will agrees to recount the story of how he met her mother, framing it as a mystery by changing the names and some facts about the three women who shaped his romantic life in his youth: the first called "Emily Jones," the second "April Hoffman," and the third "Summer Hartley." This narrative device allows Maya to guess which woman became her mother, interweaving the father's tales with his daughter's reactions and insights.[1][5] The flashbacks begin in 1992, as a young Will arrives in New York City from Wisconsin, eager to join the presidential campaign for Bill Clinton, a backdrop that infuses his personal journey with the excitement and uncertainty of political upheaval. He reconnects with his college sweetheart Emily, who has moved to the city; their rekindled romance blossoms amid campaign fervor, but it shatters when Emily confesses she slept with Will's roommate, leading to a painful breakup that forces Will to confront betrayal and the fragility of young love. This experience marks Will's initial growth, teaching him resilience amid personal and political turbulence.[5][6] Recovering in New York, Will meets April, a free-spirited Australian co-worker in the campaign who operates the copy machine and captivates him with her love for literature, particularly Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre. They quickly fall into a deep, unconventional relationship, sharing intellectual connection and whimsy, even as the Clinton campaign's success pulls Will toward opportunities. After Clinton's election victory, Will stays in touch with April as she travels the world, while he opens a political consulting firm with his friend Russell. Years later, disillusioned by politics, Will encounters Summer, an ambitious journalist who is single after breaking up with her professor. Their professional meeting evolves into a passionate affair, but it ends when Summer publishes an article that derails one of Will's campaigns, costing him his career.[5] April returns from her travels and reaches out to the depressed Will, throwing him a birthday party to reunite him with old colleagues, but their confession of love leads to an argument. Will finds an inscribed copy of Jane Eyre that belonged to April's late father but decides against giving it to her upon learning she has a boyfriend. He then runs into the pregnant Summer, who invites him to a party where he reunites with Emily, who has recently moved back to the city. In the present, Maya pieces together that "Emily" is her mother Sarah, but Will assures her that she is the happy ending. After signing the divorce papers, Will discovers April's book while unpacking and attempts to return it, but she asks him to leave. Realizing his feelings and that he did not change April's name in the story unlike the others, Will returns with Maya; April overhears their conversation and runs after them, inviting them in for the full story, leading to their kiss and a hopeful reconnection that underscores themes of enduring love, forgiveness, and personal evolution.[5][1][6]Cast
Ryan Reynolds portrays Will Hayes, the film's protagonist and narrator, a thirtysomething divorced father and advertising executive who reflects on his past relationships while explaining them to his daughter during their custody time.[1][4][7] Abigail Breslin plays Maya Hayes, Will's curious and intelligent 10-year-old daughter, whose questions about love and her parents' divorce drive the story's framing narrative, highlighting her honest and inquisitive nature.[1][4][8] Elizabeth Banks stars as Emily Appleton, Will's optimistic college sweetheart and first serious love interest, characterized by her perky personality and supportive role in his early adult life.[9][10][11] Isla Fisher embodies April Hoffman, Will's quirky and free-spirited co-worker in the Clinton campaign who operates the copy machine; she serves as his apolitical confidante, displaying feisty independence while grappling with her fear of romantic commitment.[9][12][10] Rachel Weisz depicts Summer Hartley, a sophisticated and ambitious journalist with a passion for political causes, whose confident and intellectually driven persona adds intensity to Will's romantic entanglements.[9][4][11] Kevin Kline appears as Professor Hampton Roth, Summer's eccentric and cynical thesis advisor and a renowned author whose droll sarcasm and views on power provide comic relief and contrast to the film's romantic themes.[9][10][7] In a supporting role, Derek Luke plays Russell T. McCormack, Will's loyal best friend and fellow political campaign worker, offering grounded advice amid the ensemble's romantic comedy dynamics.[9][13]Production
Development
The script for Definitely, Maybe was written and directed by Adam Brooks, drawing inspiration from his personal experiences as a father and the political fervor surrounding the 1992 U.S. presidential election, particularly Bill Clinton's campaign. Brooks developed the project starting in 2006 as a co-production between Universal Pictures and Working Title Films, marking his directorial debut following screenwriting credits on films like Wimbledon (2004) and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004).[14][15] A key creative decision was structuring the narrative around a framing device in which the protagonist's daughter attempts to solve the "mystery" of her mother's identity among three past loves, transforming the story into an engaging romantic whodunit while avoiding clichéd rom-com resolutions. To enhance authenticity, Brooks wove in real historical events from Clinton's 1992 campaign as the backdrop for the character's early political ambitions in New York, capturing the era's optimistic energy without overshadowing the personal relationships.[14] The film was financed with a $7 million production budget primarily from Universal Pictures, reflecting a modest scale for a romantic comedy with ensemble leads.[16] Brooks faced challenges in balancing the romantic elements with the political context, aiming to craft an "anti-romantic comedy" that subverted genre expectations by emphasizing themes of timing, commitment, and emotional maturity over lighthearted humor. Revisions focused on deepening the emotional core, particularly around divorce and healing, to make the story more resonant and less comedic, drawing from Brooks' intent to explore real-life complexities like unexpected pregnancies and relational "what-ifs."[17][14]Filming
Principal photography for Definitely, Maybe began on October 5, 2006, in New York City and wrapped by early 2007.[18][19] The production took place primarily in New York City and its surrounding areas, capturing the urban backdrop central to the story. Key locations included Manhattan streets to achieve 1990s authenticity, such as West End Avenue for exterior shots and Gramercy Park for narrative moments; Brooklyn sites like the Montauk Club at 25 8th Avenue for apartment interiors; and staged recreations of 1992 presidential election events, including Central Park for outdoor sequences. Additional spots featured the Odeon restaurant in Tribeca and the Upper West Side for everyday city life scenes.[20][21][22][23] Cinematographer Florian Ballhaus lensed the film on 35mm anamorphic film, emphasizing the visual texture of New York across decades. The production incorporated period-specific costumes and props to evoke the early 1990s, particularly in flashback sequences depicting political campaigns and personal milestones.[24][25]Music
Score
The original score for Definitely, Maybe was composed by Clint Mansell, an English musician and composer recognized for his emotionally charged, piano-driven works in films such as Requiem for a Dream (2000) and The Fountain (2006).[26] Mansell tailored the music to director Adam Brooks's vision, blending indie and orchestral elements to underscore the film's exploration of introspection, romance, and the passage of time through the 1990s New York political scene.[27] To achieve this, Mansell collaborated with singer-songwriter Ian Broudie, formerly of The Lightning Seeds, producing an upbeat, contemporary "band" score that incorporates acoustic and electric guitars, brushed percussion, light strings, and romantic jazz grooves.[27] The composition centers on a primary motif evoking protagonist Will Hayes's reflective narration, rendered through gentle, sometimes jazzy piano lines that evolve into variations for each romantic arc—for instance, whimsical, soft-rock cues for the playful April storyline and more angular, tense guitar flourishes for the conflicted Summer narrative.[28] These thematic shifts heighten the emotional layers of Will's stories, distinguishing past flashbacks from present-day tenderness while evoking the era's alternative rock vibe without overpowering the dialogue.[27] The score was recorded in July 2007 at Air Studios in London, England, emphasizing a small ensemble to maintain an intimate, period-appropriate sound influenced by 1990s indie and alternative rock textures.[29] A dedicated score album, Definitely, Maybe (Original Motion Picture Score), was released on March 18, 2008, by Lakeshore Records, featuring 18 original cues.[29] Select original cues appear integrated alongside licensed tracks in the film's soundtrack compilation to support narrative transitions.[30]Soundtrack
The soundtrack for Definitely, Maybe features a selection of licensed popular songs that evoke the film's timeline spanning the 1990s and early 2000s, reinforcing themes of love, change, and nostalgia through era-specific music. These tracks are integrated into key flashbacks, helping to delineate Will Hayes's romantic history and emotional journey without overpowering the dialogue-driven narrative. The official soundtrack album, Definitely, Maybe (Music From The Motion Picture), was released on February 12, 2008, by EMI Records as a compilation of 14 tracks drawn from the film. It includes a mix of classic rock, soul, alternative, and indie songs, alongside one original suite from the score, emphasizing the movie's blend of retro and contemporary sounds to mirror the characters' evolving relationships. The album's liner notes, provided by director Adam Brooks, highlight how the selections were chosen to authentically capture the cultural backdrop of each flashback period.| Track | Artist | Title | Duration | Narrative Function |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sly & the Family Stone | Everyday People | 2:22 | Plays during early scenes of youthful camaraderie and optimism in Will's college days, underscoring themes of unity and social connection. |
| 2 | R.E.M. | Stand | 3:10 | Accompanies upbeat moments of new beginnings, like Will's initial adventures in New York, evoking 1990s alternative rock energy. |
| 3 | The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1 | 4:56 | Featured in reflective sequences, adding a whimsical, introspective layer to Will's personal growth and uncertainties. |
| 4 | Muddy Waters | Mannish Boy | 5:24 | Used in bar and social scenes to ground the story in bluesy, raw masculinity during Will's early adult struggles. |
| 5 | Massive Attack | Safe from Harm | 5:20 | Highlights moments of vulnerability in relationships, with its trip-hop beats contrasting the film's lighter romantic tones. |
| 6 | Morphine | In Spite of Me | 2:36 | Plays during intimate, melancholic encounters, emphasizing emotional tension in Will's romantic entanglements. |
| 7 | Otis Redding | Cigarettes and Coffee | 3:59 | Integral to a tender morning-after scene between Will and a love interest, amplifying the warmth and regret of fleeting connections. |
| 8 | Arrested Development | People Everyday | 4:05 | Energizes group settings and political discussions, reflecting the 1990s hip-hop influence on the characters' social lives. |
| 9 | Stereo MC's | Connected | 5:12 | Featured in dynamic, urban New York montages, symbolizing Will's interconnected yet complicated path through love and career. |
| 10 | Belle & Sebastian | The Boy with the Arab Strap | 5:14 | Accompanies quieter, indie-flavored reflections on youth and identity during transitional flashbacks. |
| 11 | Finley Quaye | Even After All | 3:55 | Underscores enduring affection in later scenes, blending reggae elements with the film's themes of lasting bonds. |
| 12 | Madeleine Peyroux | The Summer Wind | 3:55 | Evokes summery romance and nostalgia in outdoor or seasonal moments, tying into the story's emotional montages. |
| 13 | Badly Drawn Boy | The Time of Times | 3:14 | Plays over poignant farewells and reconciliations, capturing the bittersweet essence of time passing in relationships. |
| 14 | Clint Mansell | Definitely, Maybe Suite | 3:41 | A orchestral excerpt from the score, closing the album and linking the licensed songs to the film's underlying musical motifs. |