"Definitely, Maybe" a cliché, must-see

Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) thinks it's just another day - another Tuesday or Friday that he'll leave work early to pick up his 10-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) from school.

However, avoiding an oncoming school bus on his walk through Manhattan or being in the midst of a divorce is the least of his problems. Today, unlike any other, Maya's elementary class has sex-ed and the first thing out of her mouth when she sees her dad in the hallway crowded with angry parents, is the precocious and enigmatic declaration, "we need to talk."

Worried she was a mistake, Maya demands her dad tell her the story about how he and her mom met and fell in love. After much debate, the young political consultant divulges his past love life to his daughter. However, in an effort to protect the innocent and to keep the ever-curious Maya guessing, Will changes a few details along with the names of his past love interests.

Tucked in bed with her princess pillow in place, Maya is ready for what turns into an involved bedtime story of life and love in the early '90s. At the beginning of the story, the only thing Maya is definite about is that her dad smoked, drank and, according to her, was a slut. With the players from Will's past - his college sweetheart Emily (Elizabeth Banks), Emily's old friend turned ruthless journalist, Summer Hartley (Rachel Weisz) and April (Isla Fisher), Will's co-worker during the Clinton campaign - Maya's task of revealing the truth about her parent's relationship is daunting. Clip board and crayons in hand, Maya relentlessly weeds through the details and discovers the truth, and, in the end, helps her dad cross the Brooklyn Bridge to make an old memory his future.

Director and writer Adam Brooks, who also wrote Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, Wimbledon, and French Kiss, envisioned a romantic comedy that would span generations.

He was quite successful in his aspiration, thanks to creative filming and keen actors. Using flashbacks, split-screen shots and re-winded scenes, Brooks lets the audience live the story. Definitely, Maybe is seen through Will's eyes, but anticipated through Maya's curiosity. While it may seem predictable, that is only a trick. With old relationships constantly resurfacing, the storyline keeps audiences guessing for the complete 105 minutes while they try to solve the equation of Will's mysterious love triangle.

No one could have been better cast for the role of Maya than Breslin. As in Little Miss Sunshine, her charisma shines through playing the young but mature Maya. Holding on to her childlike charm and innocence, Breslin is genuine and her acting touching. Together, Breslin and Reynolds deliver a tender authenticity to a delicate father-daughter relationship.

The most endearing thing about this Valentine's Day release is the unselfish love of a daughter for her lonely father. Maya believes in a happy ending to her dad's bedtime tale even if it means her parents won't end up together.