About A Boy Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Growing up has nothing to do with age.
Will Freeman is a hip Londoner who one day realizes that his friends are all involved with the responsibilities of married life and that leaves him alone in the cold. Passing himself as a single father, he starts to meet a string of single mums, confident in his ability to leave them behind when they start to ask for a commitment. But Will's hope of a continued bachelorhood is interrupted when he meets 12-year old Marcus, in many ways his complete opposite.
| Hugh Grant | Will |
| Nicholas Hoult | Marcus Brewer |
| Toni Collette | Fiona Brewer |
| Rachel Weisz | Rachel |
| Sharon Small | Christine |
| Jordan Cook | Imogen |
| Nicholas Hutchison | John |
| Joseph Speechley | Barney |
| Natalia Tena | Ellie |
| Christopher Webster | Ellie's Friend |
| Chris Weitz |
| Paul Weitz |
7.40 out of 10 (29117 votes)
Visitor Reviews
very dry
posted on 22 Aug 2009I put this movie on my "don't want to see again list." I would rather watch teletubbies for two hours while standing on my head. I suppose that I just enjoy movies that move a little faster (i.e. a PBS documentary, Watching grass grow with Gary, and then there is always the old favorite, Planetary Movement in Real Time, etc. LOL) Sorry to not agree with all of you who like it, but everyone to their own taste I suppose.
Damned awful.
posted on 22 Aug 2009This whole film centres on an obnoxious brat forcing himself into the life of a wealthy and idle character played by Hugh Grant. And that's about it. This obnoxious brat with his equally obnoxious mother are easily disliked characters and while watching this film I kept hoping that they would go under a London bus. Grant's character is entirely more sympathetic than the obnoxious brat as he is the one subjected to the repeated intrusions and manipulations of the obnoxious brat. Although, why he allowed himself to be manipulated and just didn't kick the obnoxious brat out of his life is beyond me. And that's about all I can say. By the way, did I mention that this film's child character is an obnoxious brat? All in all, damned awful. Hugh Grant must have really needed the money to show up for this one.
e-book?
posted on 14 Aug 2009The story of this movie is quite funny. I like the characters, the way they talked and behaved. Hugh Grant is not so bad but I think it's time for him to develop a new 'movie persona'. Though the story is enjoyable, the movie lacks the entertaining power. For my taste there's too many off-screen comments and I felt as if actors were reading the book for me. I know it's hard to make a movie out of a book, especially when the book is so much based on presenting the characters' way of thinking. But still I think that the creators should have tried harder. Or maybe their intention was to create a new type of e-book: 'movie-book'. If so, they've succeeded.
Brilliantly touching
posted on 08 Aug 2009It's a rare thing to find Hugh Grant playing something different from his usual romcom heroes. In this case, he's much better playing Will like people than the Four Weddings... guy he played. Also, he's more good-looking with short spikey hair than that ludicrous floppy hair. About A Boy is actually quite simple: we have Will, a guy who has never done anything at all significant in his life and has thus never really grown up, and he meets Marcus, a poor 12-year-old who has grown up to quickly without really realising it, is bullied at school, he's killed a duck with a loaf of bread and his mother has just tried to kill herself. Bizarrely the two end up reluctant friends, and manage to give each other a healthy dose of some much needed medicine: Marcus opens his eyes to his own pitiful circumstances, and Will gets back in touch with reality. Well... sort of...Incredibly, the film keeps to the story lines of Nick Hornby's book, and is much better because of it. Hugh Grant is actually convincing, I guess a testament to his apparently depressing life at the time (apparently), and Nicholas Hoult is a very talented young actor, playing Marcus perfectly. Pity about that kid's TV show he did afterwards though, Star, was it called?Don't miss these two killing us 'softly' with their song...
Life is really a Island
posted on 08 Aug 2009After seeing DVD, I think myself is really an Island! Ironically, I have Will's character but poor as Marcus so I must work. If I had a father could write a hit song and gave me legacy, my island will be free for everything; not to pretend I'm easygoing or generosity or modesty or ....socially normal woman! But my true color is hard to hide, Everyday off work, don't know where to go, just went to coffee shop and type my note book.
In holidays, I have no idea where to go but only one friend to accompany to go to department store. Or go to see the movie! However, I have no interest to imitate Will to go to single parent party, because men and women are different.
About 30 minutes too long
posted on 31 Jul 2009Decent movie that has some funny lines, but really drags in the middle. Take your wife/girlfriend and earn some brownie points, but don't expect to be bowled over. The acting is solid, Hugh Grant plays himself, as usual, but just a little more self centered than normal for him. The mother, Toni Collette, is very good. I just don't see this as anywhere near the best movies of the year. I don't think I'll even remember it next month.
Quirky, but entertaining
posted on 27 Jul 2009I enjoyed this film; Hugh Grant fans (as I am) will appreciate thisturn as an everyman character (somewhere between the good guyof "Knotting Hill" and the bad guy of "Bridget Jones' Diary").Toni Collette is one of the best actresses working today, and hereturns chameleon again as an odd-ball character.I never really warmed up to the little kid (Nicholas Hoult), but Iguess that's part of the point.
A Real Winner...
posted on 27 Jul 2009"About A Boy" is a wonderful movie. Hugh Grant does a great job playing the blank, shallow Will who finally learns to connect with people when he meets 12 year-old Marcus. I was hesitant to see "About A Boy" when I heard the directors of this film were the minds behind American Pie and American Pie 2 --although I can't bash those movies, I've never seen them. "About A Boy" had several opportunities to become a cliche romantic comedy but never did -- it never took the easy way out. The characters were fully developed and didn't do things way out of character, Bravo! And that's the beauty of "About A Boy", the characters seem like they could be real people.
They aren't caricatures of people."About A Boy" is a truly funny, entertaining, and touching movie that shouldn't be missed. There are frustrating and embarrassing (can't look at the screen) parts of this movie (which makes it not perfect). If you liked High Fidelity (from the same author) or maybe even Notting Hill (but don't expect as much romance), I bet you'll like "About A Boy". About A Boy is not an amalgam of those movies but it shares its sensibilities with them.It's a 9 out of 10 (A -)
Good book, shame about the film
posted on 21 Jul 2009Hugh Grant plays Will, a man in his late thirties who has never needed to work since he has been able to live off the royalties from a song his father wrote in the 1960s. His relationships with women never last more than two months –with no job or proper relationship, Will has never had any need for responsibility. This changes when he joins a single parent group (Will does not have a child but he uses the group's meetings as a scheme for meeting single women). At a single parent group picnic, he is brought into contact with Marcus (Nicholas Hoult) a twelve year old who lives alone with his suicidal mother (Toni Collette) and is bullied regularly at school. The film tells the story of how friendship develops between man and boy.In this film, we have a hip and cool Hugh Grant: he has a new short haircut and trendier clothes. Yet again, he comes across on screen as extremely likeable and it is difficult to imagine anyone else playing the part of Will. One problem I had was difficulty in warming to Nicholas Hoult's performance. He is a pretty average actor and I suspect that we are unlikely to see him on screen again. Since the story is all about the relationship between Will and Marcus, Grant has a lot to carry and he simply is not provided sufficient support to make the film as a sure-fire comedy classic as it would initially appear on paper. The film uses narrative voice-over by the two principle actors which serves to replace Nick Hornby's written word. This seems unnecessary at times and I often found the voice-overs an irritation, particularly in the case of Hoult who fails to convince with his emotions. I had high expectations for the cinematic adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel and I think my familiarity with the book is probably the reason why I left the cinema feeling slightly disappointed.
a nice straightforward story
posted on 07 Jul 2009On my roommate's recommendation, I got a hold of this film and watched it on a night where I hadn't a whole lot to do otherwise. And... it wasn't bad.When I saw Hugh Grant on the cover, I was a bit skeptical that I would be wandering into another romantic comedy. But then I saw that it was based on a novel by Nick Hornby, who wrote the novel High Fidelity, upon which the movie by the same name is based and I liked High Fidelity plenty, especially considering that it's a romantic comedy. So I let down my guard.And I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't just another run-of-the-mill story, but rather, it was about... a boy. And a man. Or is the man a boy? No science fiction here, it's just a story about a older man learning what it means to be a human being through an expected mentor/friend relationship with a kid 1/3 his age. The characters are interesting and developed, even if the story is as clear as plastic wrap and the plotting obvious. But I like the story anyway, even if during the film, I still had doubts now and again.I did have one little qualm with the film, and that is that it's directed like every mainstream British comedy that I've seen, complete with the sad-montage sequence with some pop tune coursing through the film. But at least the characters were so well done, it didn't bother me too much that the film didn't really have much of a personality, at least artistically.So, it's essentially, a nice very straightforward story, with well developed characters and a very predictable (almost boring) style. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night alone. Or with the people you love. 7/10.
BEST MOVIE EVER *****
posted on 05 Jul 2009This movie was great. It has real emotions. And although it was British i loved it (i have trouble understanding British accents)! It was fantastic and i thought it really showed the way men are and how the boy might actually feel. This movie is awsome and i give it ***** stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rent it or buy it today!
Bloody Hilarious
posted on 03 Jul 2009This film was great. Not in my top 10 or even my top 100 but great all the same. We can identify with every character because they are real. we all know these people and we have all dealt with them. Hugh Grant once again gets all the cool witty lines but he is so good at the delivery that it's worth it. Watch it with your partner, Mother, Father, whoever. But watch it. It's a really good laugh.
Almost Perfect
posted on 03 Jul 2009The movie adaptation of "About a Boy" was a pleasant surprise to me, coming on the heels of the dreadful Americanized version of "High Fidelity". "About a Boy" succeeds in every area where "High Fidelity" failed; it not only faithfully recaptures the tone of the novel, but expands upon it to make a very good movie.Possibly the largest problem with "High Fidelity" was that it was adapted to an American setting, with American characters. I don't believe either setting is objectively better, but both of Hornby's books are extremely British. The characters, the dialogue, the settings, all work because of their original setting. When making "High Fidelity" the filmmakers seemed to think they could solve this problem with name actors and by cranking up the volume (a typical problem with Americanizations). It just didn't work."About a Boy" succeeds because it is low-volume. It is a very low-key study of a small set of characters and their relationships. I've never been a fan of Hugh Grant - the nod and tick, the self-conscious stammering - but he does an excellent job in this role. In fact, all of the actors are quite good. And the director does an admirable job of not allowing the story to become sappy or manipulative. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two adapations is that in this one there is no talking to the camera, a conceit that has become pervasive and annoying. There are voiceovers (as there is a lot of inner monologue that must be explained) but they do not detract from the experience.It is odd that one can spend so long talking about the faults of something they dislike, but explaining what one likes is so difficult. This movie simply works; it is a complete, self-contained universe and is very effective. I highly recommend it. Since the book and the movie do have some differences, I would also recommend reading the book.
You need backup
posted on 01 Jul 2009"About a Boy" from directors Chris and Paul Weitz is the best movie of the year so far. It is a bold romantic comedy that has something to say, and whose transformation of it's lead character, Will, played by Hugh Grant in perhaps his best work, is so satisfying and touching. The screenplay by Peter Hedges, Chris and Paul Weits, based on the novel by Nick Hornby is smart, funny, and politically incorrect--which I love. Hedges and the Weitzes take on such topics as single parenting, suicide, and school peer pressure with an edge and always a sense of humor. Hugh Grant plays Will, 38 years old, single, and does "nothing" for a living. He watches TV, drives around in his Audi TT, and has vapid relationships with beautiful women. He lives off the royalties of a song that father wrote years ago. He tells two of his friends who want him to be their daughter's godfather, "Yes, I really am this shallow." Contrary to John Dunne or is Jon Bon Jovi... Will "is an island". He maybe shallow, and he is having a grand time. Will even stumbles upon a new dating community: single mothers. That's how Will meets 12 year old Marcus (played by an excellent Nicholas Hoult). Will goes on a picnic with a single mom who is looking after Marcus. Marcus wears dreary clothes, and sports a bad haircut. Marcus is everything that Will is not, uncool and possessing depth of character. Marcus's mom Fiona (played by Toni Collette) attempts suicide and ends up in the hospital for a spell. Then it occurs to Marcus that having two people are not enough (i.e. he and his Mom). What happens when one is gone? You need back up. Marcus is smart. The back up is Will. Marcus invites himself over to Will's everyday. The beautiful thing of it all is that Will really doesn't change all that much. He teaches Marcus about being cool, and Marcus teaches Marcus about having integrity, and ultimately doing what is important. This is put to the test when Will meets an awesome single mom, Rachel (played by Rachel Weisz), with whom he would like to spend his life, and asks Marcus to pretend that he is his son. "About a Boy" is about "No man is an island." Life is funny, sad, and inspiring all at the same time. What's valuable is a sense of integrity and community. The end of the movie is sentimental and truly heart felt. Hugh Grant gives a stellar performance. He is so believable as the guy who really doesn't care about people, and finally gets that people are the only important thing. This is something that I relate to totally. Grant plays it smart and uncompromising which makes poignant Will's fall and triumph. This is Grant best work. Nicholas Hoult as Marcus is just perfect. He is so natural, and captures a young boy's suffering and joy. Hoult makes believable Marcus's wisdom which he teaches by example to Grant's Will. Toni Collette is great as Marcus's mother, who finally gets a clue. Rachel Weisz's Rachel is perfect as the woman Will falls in love with.Also kudos for the movie dealing with suicide and it's cost with an uncompromising edge, a sense of humor, and compassion. "About a Boy" is truly awesome work by all involved.
a puddle of sap
posted on 29 Jun 2009About 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.
Effortlessly Cool Film about Being Cool
posted on 13 Jun 2009You can't help but like Marcus. That's a given from the beginning of the film. You also can't help liking Will, and you can't help thereafter watching the two of them enrich each other's lives. This is a film of importance if only because it doesn't take itself too seriously. It's just straight story-telling from two distinct and authentic narrative voices; Will's and Marcus'. Now, this is a film which takes a subject as serious as a mother attempting suicide, and makes it a comfortable moment for comedy.
There's nothing funny about the event, oh no, but the characters involved can't help not feeling awful the rest of the movie. Marcus is extremely proactive in helping those around him, and his circle of friends slowly grows. Will, on the other hand, is who this film becomes all about. We know Marcus is always going to have a straight outlook on things, no matter what life throws him. It's up to Will to change, and it's outstanding how he can come out of his shell without sacrificing his coolness. What sets About a Boy apart from other films about cool people learning to let down their guard and love somebody, is that in the end they've sacrificed some of their "cool-ness". Will is always a charmer, right to the end, but he manages to really change, and you can't help but marvel at the effortlessness. In the end, it's all about how Will is able to see Marcus as "cool" too.
Extremely well done, hilarious movie
posted on 03 Jun 2009First of all, this movie is an excellent portrayal of human nature. Although the main character is self centered, "An Island" as he puts it, his honesty about his own shallowness is great. It's worth watching over and over again to catch all the clever jokes and other lines in the movie that were missed the first time. Not that the plot of the movie isn't clear, it's just so loaded with great and obviously well thought out detail that you not only MUST see it, but you MUST see it several times.One last thing worth mentioning about the movie is that the music in the movie is really good. It turns what is a really good movie into a masterpiece.
A Fine Balance Of Comedy And Drama
posted on 24 May 2009ABOUT A BOY (2002) ****1/2 Filmed in Britain, 'About A Boy' is a fine balance of clever comedy and interesting drama, based on a story that people of all ages and cultures can understand, engage in, and enjoy when the actors play it up. It tells of the importance and power of selflessness - that it is necessary for people to receive it from others to find happiness - through the character development of Hugh Grant's shallow, egotistical character. His lifestyle of meaningless sequence seems to change when he meets a twelve-year-old boy (bright film newcomer Nicholas Hoult), who teaches him essentially how he can help others in life. It's a movie not to miss.
a sterling comic gem
posted on 26 Aug 2009I think I smiled all the way through `About a Boy,' a comic near-masterpiece derived from the best-selling novel by Nick Hornby. For the sake of accuracy, both the novel and the film should more rightly be titled `About TWO Boys,' since the story focuses not only on 12-year old Marcus, but on 38-year old Will, a man totally dedicated to the proposition that any man who so desires can live quite happily on his own private little urban island, thank you very much. Will's `island' is his own London flat, which he has equipped with all the accoutrements of comfort and diversion that modern technology – in the form of computers, big screen TV's and DVD players - can afford. Who needs people when you have so much `stuff' to keep you content and occupied? Will thrives in his environment, much to the chagrin of his married couple friends who keep insisting that he must certainly be miserable without a wife and family to give his life meaning.
But Will loves being shallow – a fact of his personality he is more than willing to declare right up front – and the last thing he needs – or thinks he needs – is people to clutter it up. Yet, island dwellers have a tendency not to remain marooned for long, and, before he knows it, Will finds himself striking up a relationship with a lonely, backward boy named Marcus, whose mother suffers from serious bouts of suicidal depression.More than any comedy in recent memory, `About a Boy' establishes a tone and sticks with it to the end. The screenplay by Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz (the latter two function as the film's directors as well) manages to take a potentially clichéd and predictable story and invest it with a warmth, wit and tenderness that are all-enveloping. The voice-over narration by both Will and Marcus, which introduces us to their characters and keeps us informed as to their mental progress throughout the film, is remarkably clever and droll. Yet, the characters never come across as smug, smart-alecky or flippant. Rather, they speak and behave in ways that are both believable and realistic. Hugh Grant gives his richest performance to date as Will, the man who refuses to grow up and assume the role of responsible adult, blithely unaware of the emotional depths that lie hidden under a surface of apathy and indifference. The superb Grant is more than matched by relative newcomer Nicholas Hoult, an extraordinarily gifted young actor who doesn't look like the average `adorable' screen kid, and who makes Marcus into a very real, very likable and very sensitive young man. The remainder of the large cast is outstanding as well. Moreover, the film is very astute in its observation about just how easy technology has made it for us to isolate ourselves from one another. Admittedly, a little of the sharpness does go out of the screenplay in its closing stretches, but not enough to diminish one's pleasure appreciably.In many ways, `About a Boy' is a movie that needs to be experienced first hand, since mere words fail to convey the very special charm and spell it manages to cast over the viewer. Rush to see it. Comic gems like this one don't come around very often!