DEFINITELY, MAYBE

Directed by: Adam Brooks
Written by: Adam Brooks
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher
Rated: PG-13

About the film:
A soon-to-be divorced father finds himself in the uncomfortable situation of explaining to his young and curious daughter how he met and fell in love with her mother. He does so, by telling a tale of three women in his life, any one of which could be the woman he eventually married.

Movie Quote:
“I just wonder if you want people to like you a little too much.”
April (Isla Fisher) in Definitely, Maybe (2009)

Bible Quote:
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
John 15:18 (KJV)

Commentary:
April’s comment, made as a friendly rejoinder to Will, still cuts to the quick. Popularity is something we all desire and appreciate. But our desire to be liked cannot or should not ever cause us to compromise our beliefs or integrity.

We cannot control how people respond to us. Or, better said, we shouldn’t bother to try. If we change who we are or what we believe simply in order to gain popularity, the popularity we receive will be worthless, because it is based on a lie.

Jesus Christ, who had more cause than any of us to want to be popular, was vilified during his lifetime. Yet he did not stray from his core principles. He did not allow the temptation of being “liked” to cause him to change his message. He accepted the hate of men because he loved mankind that much.

Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What are the pitfalls of wanting to be popular and how can we guard against them?
2. Will’s dating history leaves much to be desired. Where did he go wrong? What decisions could he have made to improve his story?

Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com