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Even more disturbing: Will is telling this story to his 10-year-old daughter—with details. In fact, the movie tries to have fun with the idea that this guy is telling a kid all his dirty laundry. Maya often stops the stories with comments on things like threesomes and her dad smoking. While the movie never stoops to the crass frat-boy humor of films like Knocked Up, a lot of its intended laughs come hearing an 10-year-old often saying words like penis, vagina, slut, and the b-word.

Of course, many of my complaints about Definitely, Maybe come from looking way deeper than the charm, heart and fluffiness of an often-fun, above-average romantic comedy with a unique twist. But maybe (definitely) that's what we need to do to think through Hollywood's messages about love.

Talk About It

1. What do you think of the story Will tells Maya? Would you feel comfortable telling your kid your past in this way? Why or why not? What lessons or impressions about adult relationships and love do you think Maya is left with?
2. Think about your dating history. How would you someday (or now) tell the story to your kids? What would you leave out and why? What lessons or messages would you try to impart through your past?
3. What lessons does Maya help Will learn? How is he different at the end of the film than in the beginning?

The Family Corner

Definitely, Maybe is rated PG-13 for sexual content, including some frank dialogue, language and smoking. There are no actual scenes of sex, but it's talked about extensively (even with the 10-year-old) and hinted at many times (e.g., scenes of unmarried couples waking up together). There are a fair share of other swear words and taking the Lord's name in vain. The father character discusses some pretty objectionable things with his daughter, like threesomes.

Photos © Copyright Universal Pictures

© Todd Hertz subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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