Parents' Guide to

Definitely, Maybe

By Betsy Bozdech, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Teen-friendly romcom about love's ups and downs.

Movie PG-13 2008 105 minutes
Definitely, Maybe Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 14+

Based on 4 parent reviews

age 12+

Absolutely Amazing

Smart, heartfelt, and hilarious. A very charming cast that delivers powerful performances. What more do you need? Definitely, Maybe is a superb rom-com that surpasses many others both older and newer. It’s certainly worth watching at least once.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much sex
Too much swearing
age 12+

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (16):

It's a refreshing change of pace from run-of-the-mill Hollywood romantic comedies, where it's all-too-often clear which characters will end up together from the order of their names in the credits. While it's certainly possible to guess which of the three women Will will end up with, the movie doesn't make it a foregone conclusion -- as in life, love itself isn't always enough, and bad timing has a way of screwing things up. That said, the movie doesn't have the same kind of sparkling charm of a film like Love Actually or the appealing frankness of one like About a Boy; it prompts more smiles than outright laughs (many of the latter are thanks to the '90s "nostalgia" that permeates the film), and the ending ultimately seems a little bit pat -- though some of the scenes leading up to it are sentimental enough for the sappiest romantic.

Reynolds is a pleasant surprise as Will; better known for his snarkiness than his heart, the actor proves he has more than witty wisecracks up his sleeve, coming off as a very believable guy who wants to find real love but keeps getting it wrong. Breslin, as always, is bright eyed and cute as a button -- she doesn't have as much to do here as she did in Little Miss Sunshine, but she makes the most of her story-driving role. The three leading ladies are also appealing -- Banks and Fisher have had more broadly comic roles in mainstream movies before, so it's nice to see them getting a chance to do some more subtle work. All in all, Definitely, Maybe is well-executed charming, if not a classic, and it should warm the cockles of any chick flick-lover's heart.

Movie Details

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