About a Boy

The timing and cutting of the film are terrific, the build-up to an absurdly hilarious climax is just right, and the performances are near perfect.

Hilarious, touching and wonderfully dyspeptic.

We have all the action heroes and Method script-chewers we need right now, but the Cary Grant department is understaffed, and Hugh Grant shows here that he is more than a star, he is a resource.

Hugh Grant is one of the true phenomena of new millennium moviemaking. In an era in which the broadest and most scatological comedy imaginable rules, he's built a career for himself as a sophisticated light comedian very much in the style of his hero, David Niven.

A comedy hit, but its secret is that it delves deeper than the usual summer fare.

The other Grant, the irresistible but slippery Cary, was called to account by such strenuous and willful mates as Irene Dunne, Katharine Hepburn, and Ingrid Bergman. But Hugh Grant has never been matched with a woman who directly challenged his oddly recessive charm. [3 June 2002, p. 100]

Was this spiritless stuff really directed by Paul and Chris Weitz of "American Pie" fame? How the rebels have mellowed!

A Heartwarming Tale of Maturity and Unlikely Companionship That Delivers Irresistible Warmth.161113 (4.0)The utterly endearing Marcus awakens Will, the boy who never grew up, and Fiona, the girl who never grew up either. I ended up crying my eyes out during the performance of "Killing Me Softly" dedicated to his mother. Directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz and adapted from Nick Hornby's acclaimed 1998 novel, the 2002 comedy-drama "About a Boy" explores loneliness, family dysfunction, and emotional growth with sharp British wit and sincere empathy. The narrative follows Will Freeman (Hugh Grant), an idle, charming, and emotionally detached London bachelor living comfortably off the royalties of a novelty Christmas song composed by his late father. Unwilling to accept adult responsibilities or pursue meaningful relationships, Will invents a fake son named Ned to infiltrate a single parents' support group purely to meet vulnerable women. Through this scheme, he crosses paths with Marcus Brewer (Nicholas Hoult), an eccentric, socially outcast twelve-year-old boy struggling to navigate bullying at school while caring for his chronically depressed, suicidal mother Fiona (Toni Collette). Sensing Will's fabricated facade, Marcus persistently seeks him out, and an unexpected friendship develops between the two. As Will helps Marcus fit in with his peers, Marcus inadvertently challenges Will to step outside his self-centered comfort zone and embrace genuine human vulnerability. Anchored by standout performances from Hugh Grant, Toni Collette, and young Nicholas Hoult, along with a poignant soundtrack composed by Badly Drawn Boy, the film balances wry humor with authentic emotional depth, culminating in an unforgettable school talent show climax that celebrates the power of connection and unconventional family bonds.

A heartfelt, feel-good comedy full of charming performances that often seems to be unfairly forgotten amongst the pantheon of British comedies of the era.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

There are smart moments of wit and poignance, but it's Hugh Grant's performance that'll stick with you. Grant's sidekick, the newcomer Nicholas Hoult, clearly was able to learn a thing or two and give a fine performance himself.

I have to admit that when any adaptation manages to stand side by side as an equal with the novel, it surprises me. â