About a Boy is really about two boys: Hugh Grant's Will--38 and a waste of space--and Nicholas Hoult's Marcus--12, with a suicidal mother and a terrible, crooked, bowl-shaped haircut. The movie introduces the boys through voice-overs and works on the amusing premise that these two boys, linked by their blue eyes and lonely lives, will help each other grow up.
The plot isn't new, but the script--adapted from the Nick Hornby novel--offers snappy dialogue and fresh situations, while the cast delivers dynamic, layered performances. Hugh Grant, dropping his usual floppy hair and twitchy eyes, lets us know that Will is a bit of a loser--living off royalties from a Christmas song his father wrote years ago. Toni Collette, as the troubled Marcus's mother, inhabits her yeti-esque hippie costumes with aplomb.
Will and Marcus meet through SPAT, Single Parents Alone Together, of which both Will and Marcus's mother, Fiona, are members. Will, a long-time womanizer, has joined to meet single mothers because they are sex-starved and emotionally unavailable. Trouble brews when he meets a real single parent, Rachel (Rachel Weisz, who receives top billing for what seems like twelve minutes of screen time), and begins to feel inadequate. As he scrambles to conjure a job and a child, he becomes dissatisfied with his empty life.
About a Boy manages to be feel-good without being touchy-feely, and provides enough laughs to make the admission price worthwhile. Although directed by the same brothers who brought American Pie to the table, this movie showcases a deeper dimension of their ability. Will's likeably loathsome behavior awakens the boy in all of us--while reminding us to grow up.
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