About a Boy
May. 17,2002 PG-13Will Freeman is a good-looking, smooth-talking bachelor whose primary goal in life is avoiding any kind of responsibility. But when he invents an imaginary son in order to meet attractive single moms, Will gets a hilarious lesson about life from a bright, but hopelessly geeky 12-year-old named Marcus. Now, as Will struggles to teach Marcus the art of being cool, Marcus teaches Will that you're never too old to grow up.
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Reviews
I'll tell you why so serious
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.
It was a nice, funny and laughable film. I learned that the film is a book adaptation: I watched a movie. I liked it and gave it 8 points. The next morning, "This movie is American and very beautiful. this can not be." This is the movie industry in American space age.The characters in the movie were nice. I do not like the end. Packed it up quickly. Other than that, the typists bothered. It was a classic. It was a funny and traceable film.The duck scene was very beautiful.
In the film About a Boy, Will is a rich man that invents a son to meet women in a support group for single parents. After a series of events that leads him to get close to a young boy named Marcus, Will starts to mature an instead wants to take care of him and have a mature relationship with a business woman. Will is an unlikable character that becomes more likable as the film goes on, through trials that test his loyalty to the people who matter the most. The film seems to be more of a character piece, as the writing concentrates more on Will's development than anything else. Its still a good film regardless and I would recommend it.
It's a rom-com but not like your usual, it's between a man and a boy. Two different lives, two different sets of problems but ultimately one thing in common: depression, loneliness and unhappiness. Hugh Grant plays Will, a thirty-something bachelor who lives off family royalties and lives his life responsibility free.. Always on the lookout for women he makes up that he has a son and joins a single parents group. Here he meets a woman and on their first date to the park she brings along her friends son Marcus (played by Nicholas Hoult). Marcus is a socially awkward, bullied teenager who sees Will as a perfect match for his depressed Mother. The relationship that Will and Marcus develop is something special and takes them on a real coming of age journey together.Nicholas Hoult was only 12 when filming About a Boy and it was his first major role so the pressure was on for him to give a convincing performance when he was the co-lead actor in the movie. He had the support of Hugh Grant so it wasn't on his shoulders to carry the movie on his own but he had a significant amount of screen time and was as an important character as Hugh Grant. His performance was incredibly good, he played the anti-social, shy and nerdy kid extremely well, he didn't just get by, he excelled and really made the character his own. If you've seen Hugh Grant movies before then you will know what to expect from his performance. He complimented Hoult very well, having what seems at first as polar opposite personalities but as the film progresses we see that their differences aren't all that significant. The supporting cast all give solid performances also, adding the depth required convincingly.The story on paper seems a little far-fetched as it doesn't appear to be a story that would likely be presented in real life or even widely accepted in modern society. The message behind the story is one of desperation, loneliness, depression and companionship. It's touching and emotional at times but then hilariously heart-warming at others. It's a very charming movie that will leave you feeling very satisfied as the credits roll.9/10
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.