source: About a Boy

About a Boy

About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film co-written and directed by brothers Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz. It is an adaptation of the 1998 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, and Rachel Weisz. The film at times uses double voice-over narration, when the audience hears both Will's and Marcus's thoughts. Will is a 36-year-old underachiever with a fear of commitment that leads him to seek out relationships with single mothers, on the assumption that they are more desperate. However, plans go awry when he befriends with Marcus, the weird 12-year-old son of his latest target. Soon, Will and Marcus become friends, and as Will teaches Marcus how to be a cool kid, Marcus helps Will finally to grow up.

About a Boy is a heart-warming comedy film starring Hugh Grant and introducing Nicholas Hoult. The film tells a tale of the unlikely connection between a 30something man who's got it all, without ever having done a hard days work in his life, and thinks of himself as an 'island' and a peculiar 12 year old boy who struggles at the mercy of bullies and his depressed mother. Whilst this may seem like an unlikely duo, Grant and Hoult manage to pull it off perfectly. The film is well scripted, making sure that it delivers comedy and seriousness at a good level without one over-balancing the other and without ruining the book written by Nick Hornby of which this film was based off of. As well as top performances from Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette and Rachel Weisz, the film also contains excellent music performed by Badly Drawn Boy. The music used in the film further enhances the scenes and emotions that are being conveyed. The main message in the film, is to further prove a famous quote from Jon Bon Jovi stating that "No man is an island.". We learn from watching the characters themselves, especially Will, how true this quote is and the importance of having others in your life. I've seen this film countless times and each and every time I find that I'm smiling at the end. While it may not be perfect, it's certainly one of Hugh Grant's best performance and provides a heart-warming message.

Let me explain. This movie isn't (much of the time anyway) unpleasant; it's just not pleasant. I didn't for the most part find it enjoyable to watch. It has a few scenes in it which are somewhat humorous, but overall I found this a heavy kind of movie. Yes, it's hopeful - in a way. It brings lonely, sad and even depressed people together and lets them build a sort of family connection with one another so that by the end there's a sort of heartwarming scene of a very diverse and eclectic group of people gathering to celebrate Christmas with an extended-family feel, but that quasi-hopeful ending struck me as empty to be honest. There was no sense that any of this was going to last; no sense of permanence. These folks for this point in time were together. Yeah - there's something to be said for that, but for me at least it didn't overcome the overall sombre feel to this "comedy." Hugh Grant has never really overwhelmed me. I've never quite understood the appeal he has for many people. His movies are usually pleasant in an understated, silly sort of way, and generally he plays variations on the same character - either the lost, lovelorn single guy or the guy who wants to avoid any serious commitments. He's the same here; although less likable than many of his characters: lazy, shallow, manipulative. Here his character of Will latches on the the idea of pretending to be a single father so that he can meet single mothers. In the course of the deception, he connects with Marcus (Nicholas Hoult) - a sad, lonely, bullied 12 year old boy with a suicidal mother (Fiona, played by Toni Collette.) In fact, what really causes the bond in the relationship between Will and Marcus is when they discover Fiona after her suicide attempt. Marcus bonds afterward with the at first less than enthusiastic Will, and the two of them have to sort their way through life and their own relationship - all the while trying to build new relationships with those around them. I have to confess that this just didn't capture me. Yes, there were a few funny scenes, but I never really got the sense of what this was trying to accomplish, and after Fiona's suicide attempt I was puzzled. The single mother of a 12 year old boy attempts suicide, doesn't seem to be in the hospital for long, and then just goes home and takes up her role as a single mom again? In a way, that was really the vehicle for pushing this movie along, but it made no sense to me. There was also the problem that I didn't really like any of the characters - there was a shallowness and a phoniness to all of them. I could admire Marcus' devotion to helping his mom get better, I suppose, but beyond that none of them struck a chord with me. None of this really connected with me. (3/10)

Don't worry : this movie is (kind of) funny. Usually when Hugh Grant is involved that's the one thing you can be reasonably sure about. But whether this is a movie that will stay with you for longer than it takes to see it.... It's a pretty flimsy story about a guy who is basically happy. Which is the first point of criticism : movies about happy people are mostly boring. So, the script writer must have thought, let's start with a happy guy and make him unhappy. As the movie progresses the basic philosophy of the movie becomes clearer : the only way to happiness is by becoming the most average and mainstream character you can imagine. Eccentric is wrong ! Mediocre is the highest good ! Because the main personage is happy being eccentric he has to be made aware of the fact that is actually unhappy because he is not like everyone else. By the end he becomes like anyone else you've ever met and passed on the street and THUS must be happy. Very strange philosophy... One word about the young Nicholas Hoult : his character Marcus says he's not as good as Haley Joel Osmond and therefor has to go to school. He's right about that alright. I couldn't help but noticing that as the movie progresses the acting style of Nicholas starts to resemble mr. Grants' more and more. All in all : wrong philosophy, some funny scenes, nothing you'll miss if you haven't seen it.

This is absolutely one of my favorite all time movies, I have it in my DVD collection, and whenever I'm feeling nostalgic and want to see a bit of London, hear witty British accents, then this is the film I watch. Nicholas Hoult is adorable in his role as "Marcus", I absolutely adore him, he'll do anything to make his mother happy, he wears the clothes and shoes she makes him wear, eats all the healthy food she makes him eat, sings the songs she likes ("Killing me softly"-has become an all time classic in my house because of this film); Toni Collette plays his crazy, vegan, hippy suicidal mother, when she makes him that loaf of organic brown bread that he kills a duck at the park- is one of our favorite scenes. He meets "Will" (Hugh Grant) who is a self-obsessed bachelor; they both become "friends" in an intricate and funny way, by Marcus practically barging into Will's life, taking over his home after school. Will, being more "hip" and into modern ways, tries to buy new sports shoes for Marcus, after he sees all the bullying and tormenting that Marcus is enduring at school, Marcus ends up going home shoeless in the rain. The entry of Rachel Weisz and her strange son in all of this, is also done in a funny way, and I love R.Weisz in everything she does, she is simply stunning. I love the plot, the London scenes, the whole comical story blends into one that has become a favorite with our family.

Described by some as a man's version of Bridget Jones Diary the remarkable thing is that it lives up to the description. Hugh Grant, with an excellent script that could have been written especially for him, plays a young confirmed single yuppie socialite, dividing his day into units in which to pack his meaningless but carefree, philandering lifestyle and disposable income. After initially discovering unmarried mothers as a new supply of grateful sexual objects, he becomes drawn into a meaningful life after making friends with a young boy. Avoiding a cheesy ending is one of the film's many triumphs.

About a Boy is a maudlin puddle of sap that, while billed as a romantic comedy, is neither romantic nor funny. Every character in the movie is a pale cliche: the crazy hippie, the self-absorbed yuppie, the angry single mother, the dreamy artist, the tattooed motorcycle-jacket lesbian, the nerdy kid who doesn't fit in, the playground bullies, the nose-pierced punk rocker with a heart of gold...one after another these tired stereotypes traipse across the screen, leaving a sugary slime on the ground like a slug slithering over the pavement. There's only one real laugh in the film, and that's when Hugh Grant turns a volunteer stint working the phones at Amnesty International into an opportunity for phone sex. The rest of the movie is too pious to be funny and too concocted to be emotionally interesting. It's extremely disheartening to read the litany of moonstruck reviews served up by those who call About a Boy an insightful examination of the contemporary male persona. Hugh Grant's shallow character doesn't have anything to do with the contemporary male persona, or any other male persona for that matter, and thank God for that. This film is so shamelessly sentimental and badly written that I was literally hiding my face under my sweater in several places out of sheer pain and embarrassment. At other times I was praying to God for the movie to end (checking my watch sadly revealed I was only 45 minutes into the fiasco), and on a later occasion I found myself practicing Buddhist meditation techniques in order to convert the pain of viewing it into an opportunity for growth. It would indeed be fair to say that watching About a Boy is a religious experience. If you want to see a dashing British comedy of errors about a romantic, bumbling idle young man, go rent an episode of Jeeves and Wooster. It'll beat the socks off of this sad little movie any day of the week.

I just watched this yesterday again :) i was at my grandmothers and we all watched my DVD it 3 generations of us all watched it all loved it from my little cousin 10 - my grandparents 70s With a steady stream of laughs, masterful & quite original plot line and includes a very intriguing character ensemble. This movie follows the tradition of Hugh Grant playing the villain extremely well inkeeping with his debut in Bridget Jones' Diary as a villainous character. I personally liked this slightly better then Bridget it was a little more suspenseful and serious, but all lovers of the Bridget jones' series should go an buy this. guaranteed enjoyment. but about a boy is timeless, if you enjoy it the second time you will enjoy it forever. I mention second time as the humor is a fairly conservative and educated so you need to pay attention. Or you will definitely miss the hilarity of Hugh Grants character as it isn't directly implied like skit comedies such as Road Trip and Old School. which are boring after 2 views. don't leave the store with a copy or two of this. rating 8.2/10 *Arghhh I've wounded his soul:'( **ohhh SHUT UP your wounding my soul!!