About a Boy (2002)

Directors:

Chris Weitz
Paul Weitz

Writers (WGA):

Nick Hornby (novel)
Peter Hedges (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

17 May 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Growing up has nothing to do with age.

Plot:

Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy

Plot Keywords:

Single Parent | Man As Island | Depression | Thirty Something | Immaturity

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Hugh Grant	...	Will
Nicholas Hoult	...	Marcus
Sharon Small	...	Christine
Madison Cook	...	Imogen
Jordan Cook	...	Imogen
Nicholas Hutchison	...	John
Ryan Speechley	...	Barney
Joseph Speechley	...	Barney
Toni Collette	...	Fiona
Natalia Tena	...	Ellie (as Nat Gastiain Tena)
Laura Kennington	...	Ellie's Friend
Tanika Swaby	...	Ellie's Friend
Peter McNicholl	...	Ellie's Friend
Christopher Webster	...	Ellie's Friend
Ben Ridgeway	...	Lee, the Bully

Also Known As:

About a Boy oder: Der Tag der toten Ente (Germany)
Pour un garçon (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK | USA | France | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Malaysia:U | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Austria:10 | Canada:PG | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Norway:A | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #38482)

Filming Locations:

BFI IMAX Cinema, Charlie Chaplin Walk, South Bank, London, England, UK

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

As Will describes web-based research as a "unit of time" in his day, he is seen typing the URL supermodelswithseethroughtops.com. This is actually an active Web site consisting of only a picture of the Pope, Pope John Paul II, in his "Pope-mobile".

Goofs:

Continuity: When Marcus is watching his mother cry in the kitchen while she prepares breakfast towards the start of the film, a centre parting appears in his fringe that was not previously there, then disappears and reappears.

Quotes:

Will: I find the key is to think of a day as units of time, each unit consisting of no more than thirty minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating and most activities take about half an hour. Taking a bath: one unit, watching countdown: one unit, web-based research: two units, exercising: three units, having my hair carefully disheveled: four units. It's amazing how the day fills up, and I often wonder, to be absolutely honest, if I'd ever have time for a job; how do people cram them in?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Bitches And Friends

Wonderful book, wonderful movie - gotta love Nick Hornby!

This movie really came as a surprise to me. I had read the book shortly before I saw it and when I heard Hugh Grant was going to star and the Weitz brothers were chosen to direct I didn't exactly have high hopes. I thought "American Pie" was funny and all but this kind of story demanded someone more mature, someone clever. This movie, however, turned out to be all that: mature, clever, witty, sensible, honest and, most of all, really funny in such a natural way. Hugh Grant has never been better in any role before or since and the soundtrack by Badly Drawn Boy is just perfect for the movie. The only thing they overdid a little was Toni Collette's character. I've never seen a person like that in real life. What I did like was the way they changed the ending for the movie. Usually that's not a good idea but it totally worked here. After all, I still liked "High Fidelity" a tiny bit better (the movie, not the book), but "About A Boy" comes very close. If you are just as much a fan of this book/movie as I am, get the DVD. There are wonderful deleted scenes on it, which are as funny as the rest of the movie.