Monica and Sam are unhappily married and show it… Grace and Howard are unhappily married, but complacent. Their children, Allen and Michelle, are at a crossroads in their relationship. Michelle wants to get married, but Allen is unsure. So when the two families meet for the first time, things get complicated, because it turns out that they all know each other.
Maybe I Do takes a look at the longevity and necessity of marriage. With their future uncertain, Michelle and Allen seek advice from their parents and they each have a different point of view on whether or not marriage is worth the complication and difficulties it brings. These are conversations I am sure we’ve all heard before because the marriage debate has been raging for decades now. But they still ring true, whether they’re coming from a romantic or a cynic.
The cast is fabulous. Diane Keaton, Richard Gere, William H. Macy, and Susan Sarandon? You couldn’t ask for a better ensemble. Emma Roberts and Luke Bracey, who recently starred together in Holidate, play Michelle and Allen. They exude much more chemistry here in Maybe I Do, which is a testament to what a good script can do.
Susan Sarandon and William H. Macy play Monica and Sam, Allen’s parents and for me, they’re definitely the highlight of the film. Monica is blunt and outspoken and Sarandon seems to be having a lot of fun with the character. Macy’s Sam is also quite blunt… mostly about how terrible his marriage is and how unhappy he is in life. It shouldn’t be as funny as it is, but Macy’s line deliveries had me laughing out loud… for real. It’s a treat to see Diane Keaton and Richard Gere in a romantic comedy again. Diane Keaton as Grace is… well, she’s Diane Keaton. Fabulous. Richard Gere gets to show off his comedic chops as well as Howard, a husband, and father who is hoping his infidelity remains a secret and his former mistress doesn’t off him the way she’s threatened to.
Michael Jacobs’s steady direction and ability to bring out some fun performances from four powerhouses of acting are what makes Maybe I Do such a treat. It creates an interesting discussion of how we view our parents’ marriage(s) and how those perceptions shape our own ideas of what marriage should be. Some parents are better at hiding their problems than others and we don’t usually think about how that actually affects the kids until it’s their turn to face commitment and the concept of forever.
Maybe I Do is definitely a character-driven romantic dramedy and an enjoyable one at that. It definitely gets a recommendation from me.
Maybe I Do will be released on January 27th in select theaters.
