About a Boy

***About a Boy*** is a 2002 romantic comedy-drama film directed by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz and written by them and Peter Hedges. It is an adaptation of the 1998 novel of the same name by Nick Hornby. The film stars Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, and Rachel Weisz. The film at times uses double voice-over narration, when the audience hears alternately Will's and Marcus's thoughts.

The film was theatrically released on 26 April 2002 by Universal Pictures. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Actors Hugh Grant and Toni Collette were nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award, respectively, for their performances. The film received positive reviews from critics and earned $130.5 million against a $30 million budget.

## Storyline

### Plot

Will Freeman lives a serene and luxurious lifestyle devoid of responsibility in London thanks to substantial royalties left to him from a successful Christmas song composed by his father. In an attempt to meet single women with children (who Will believes have low expectations in the men they date), Will begins attending a single parent support group, "SPAT", where he falsely states that he has a two-year-old son named Ned. He meets an attractive woman named Suzie in the group, and during a planned play-date with her, he meets Marcus, the 12-year-old son of Suzie's friend Fiona, who was unexpectedly brought along by Suzie. Will gains Marcus's interest and trust after he lies to a park ranger to cover up for Marcus accidentally killing a duck by throwing his mother's home-made cottage loaf at it. Afterward, when Will and Suzie take Marcus home, they find Fiona in the living room, overdosed on pills from a suicide attempt.

Marcus attempts to fix Will up with his mother in order to cheer her up, but the plan fails after a single date. Instead, Marcus becomes close to Will after blackmailing him with the knowledge that "Ned" doesn't exist, and begins to treat him as a surrogate big brother. Marcus's influence leads Will to mature and he seeks out a relationship with Rachel, a self-assured career woman, bonding over their experiences raising teenage sons, though Will neglects to explain his relationship to Marcus. He introduces Marcus to Rachel's insecure son, Ali, who threatens to kill him. Marcus, in turn, develops a crush on a girl named Ellie, a punk rocker at his school, but they instead develop a close platonic friendship. Will, realizing that he desires true intimacy with Rachel, decides to be honest with her about his relationship with Marcus, but this backfires and their relationship ends.

One day, Marcus comes home from school to find his mother crying in the living room. He attempts to tell this to Will, but Will is withdrawn following his break-up. Marcus decides to sing at a school talent show in order to make his mother happy. Will attempts to return to his previous lifestyle, but finds it unfulfilling. He realizes that the one thing that means something to him is Marcus, and decides to help him. He crashes a meeting of SPAT to find Fiona and beg her not to commit suicide. She assures him that she has no plans to do so and reveals that Marcus has decided to sing at the school show that day.

Will realizes this will be a huge embarrassment for Marcus and rushes with Fiona to the school to stop him, but Marcus is steadfast in his decision to perform, believing it will be the only thing that will make his mother happy. When he steps on stage and sings his mother's favourite song—"Killing Me Softly with His Song"—the student body starts to taunt him. Suddenly, Will appears onstage with a guitar to accompany Marcus for the rest of the song, earning themselves a modest applause. Will performs an unnecessary solo immediately afterward, turning himself into the butt of the joke and rescuing Marcus from humiliation and even social suicide.

The following Christmas, Will is back with Rachel and hosts a celebration at his home, with his new extended family. The idea of Will marrying Rachel is brought up and Marcus seems unenthusiastic. But Marcus reveals in voiceover that he is not against Will and Rachel marrying, merely that he believes that couples do not work on their own and that everyone needs an extended support system like he now has, concluding "No man is an island."

### Genres

* Comedy
* Romance
* Drama
* Comedy-drama

### Motion Picture Rating

* **13** (Argentina)
* **M** (Australia)
* **10** (Austria)
* **Livre** (Brazil)
* **PG** (Canada)
* **7** (Denmark)
* **S** (Finland)
* **Tous publics** (France)
* **6** (Germany)
* **I** (Hong Kong)
* **L** (Iceland)
* **U** (India)
* **12** (Ireland)
* **T** (Italy)
* **G** (Japan)
* **U** (Malaysia)
* **B** (Mexico)
* **AL** (Netherlands)
* **A** (Norway)
* **14** (Peru)
* **PG** (Singapore)
* **12** (South Korea) (2002, cinema/DVD rating)
* **15** (South Korea) (2015, TV rating)
* **A** (Spain)
* **7** (Sweden)
* **10** (Switzerland) (canton of Geneva)
* **10** (Switzerland) (canton of Vaud)
* **12** (Switzerland) (canton of the Grisons)
* **12** (United Kingdom)
* **PG-13** (United States)

## Cast and Crew

### Directors

* Chris Weitz
* Paul Weitz

### Writing Credits

* Nick Hornby (novel)
* Peter Hedges (screenplay) and
* Chris Weitz (screenplay) &
* Paul Weitz (screenplay)

### Cast

* Hugh Grant as Will Freeman
* Nicholas Hoult as Marcus Brewer
* Toni Collette as Fiona Brewer
* Rachel Weisz as Rachel
* Natalia Tena as Ellie
* Sharon Small as Christine
* Nicholas Hutchinson as John
* Victoria Smurfit as Suzie
* Isabel Brook as Angie
* Ben Ridgeway as Lee, the bully
* Jenny Galloway as Frances / SPAT
* Augustus Prew as Ali
* Denise Stephenson as Lindsey
* Rosalind Knight as Lindsey's mum
* Sir Tim Rice as himself

### Producers

* Nicky Kentish Barnes (co-producer)
* Tim Bevan (produced by)
* Liza Chasin (co-producer)
* Robert De Niro (produced by)
* Brad Epstein (produced by)
* Eric Fellner (produced by)
* Lynn Harris (executive producer)
* Debra Hayward (co-producer)
* Nick Hornby (executive producer)
* Hardy Justice (co-producer)
* Jane Rosenthal (produced by)

## Details

### Country

* USA
* UK

### Release Dates

* April 26, 2002 (UK)
* April 26, 2002 (Ireland)
* May 8, 2002 (USA) (premiere)
* May 17, 2002 (Canada)
* May 17, 2002 (USA)
* June 3, 2002 (Netherlands) (premiere)
* June 6, 2002 (Netherlands)
* June 7, 2002 (Sweden)
* June 13, 2002 (Israel)
* June 21, 2002 (Iceland)
* July 3, 2002 (Egypt)
* July 5, 2002 (Spain)
* July 5, 2002 (Greece)
* July 5, 2002 (Norway)
* July 5, 2002 (Poland)
* July 13, 2002 (Czech Republic) (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)
* July 19, 2002 (Brazil)
* July 19, 2002 (Finland)
* July 26, 2002 (Denmark)
* August 1, 2002 (Australia)
* August 1, 2002 (Czech Republic)
* August 1, 2002 (Russia)
* August 8, 2002 (Philippines) (Manila)
* August 9, 2002 (Mexico)
* August 14, 2002 (Austria)
* August 14, 2002 (Philippines) (Davao)
* August 16, 2002 (Portugal)
* August 21, 2002 (Belgium)
* August 22, 2002 (Switzerland) (German speaking region)
* August 22, 2002 (Germany)
* August 22, 2002 (South Korea)
* August 23, 2002 (Bulgaria)
* August 23, 2002 (Estonia)
* August 29, 2002 (Hong Kong)
* September 6, 2002 (Taiwan)
* September 13, 2002 (Italy)
* September 13, 2002 (Turkey)
* September 13, 2002 (South Africa)
* September 14, 2002 (Japan)
* September 20, 2002 (Romania)
* September 26, 2002 (Argentina)
* September 26, 2002 (Hungary)
* October 11, 2002 (Latvia)
* October 25, 2002 (Colombia)
* November 12, 2002 (France)
* January 9, 2003 (Peru)

### Home Media Release Dates

* December 2, 2002 (UK) (VHS)
* December 2, 2002 (UK) (DVD)
* January 14, 2003 (US) (VHS)
* January 14, 2003 (US) (DVD)

## Reception

### Box office

*About a Boy* takes place at a cost of $130.5 million.

### Critical response

The film has a 6.7 rating on IMDb and a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

## Company Credits

### Production Companies

* Universal Pictures (presents)
* StudioCanal (presents)
* Tribeca Productions
* Working Title Films
* Cinema Vehicle Services

### Distributors

* Universal Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
* Mars Distribution (2002) (France) (theatrical)
* Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal) (theatrical)
* Paramount Films of India (2002) (India) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Greece) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
* United International Pictures (UIP) (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
* American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (2005) (USA) (TV)
* Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (DVD)
* Argentina Video Home (2003) (Argentina) (VHS)
* Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2009) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
* Net5 (2005) (Netherlands) (TV)
* StudioCanal (2003) (France) (DVD)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2003) (USA) (DVD)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2003) (USA) (VHS)
* Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (UPHE) (2012) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
* Universal Pictures Video (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
* Universal Pictures (2011) (Netherlands) (Blu-ray)
* Universal Studios Canada (2002) (Canada) (VHS) (Québec)
* Videosonic (Greece) (VHS)

### Other Companies

* ARRI Media (camera and grip equipment rental)
* Air Studios (music recorded at)
* Artistdirect Records (soundtrack published by)
* Casting Collective (extras casting)
* Central Casting (extras casting)
* Global Music Service (music copyist)
* Lee Lighting (lighting)
* Mr. Youngs (projection)
* Ohana Camera Expendables (Camera Expendables)
* Pacific Title (end titles)
* Pacific Title (opticals)
* Paul Smith (thanks)
* Picture Mill (main titles)
* Pivotal Post (Avid editing equipment provided by)
* Shepperton Studios (movie studio)
* Special Treats Production Company (EPK)
* Universal Studios Sound Facilities (sound editing and design)
* Universal Studios Sound Facilities (sound post-production)
* XL Recordings (soundtrack published by)

## Technical Specs

### Aspect Ratio

* 2.39:1
* 2.35:1
* 4:3 (Full screen and open matte prints)

## Trivia

* The shot of Will reflected in the mirror when he is depressed was actually taken when Hugh Grant was taking a break. The directors noticed him doing this and from behind he looked depressed, so they shot it without him knowing.
* In the novel, Will introduces Marcus to, and bonds with Ellie over, the band Nirvana. The book is set in 1993-94, and the story climaxes with the kids learning about, and being affected by, lead singer Kurt Cobain's suicide. The title of the story is an allusion on the Nirvana song "About A Girl".
* At the beginning of the film Marcus says he would be able to take care of his mum (Toni Collette) if he were Haley Joel Osment. Toni Collette played Haley Joel Osment's mother in *The Sixth Sense* (1999).
* As Will describes web-based research as a "unit of time" in his day, he types the URL supermodelswithseethroughtops.com. This is an active Web site, consisting of a picture of Pope John Paul II in his "Pope-mobile".
* Brad Pitt turned down the lead role of Will Freeman on the grounds that it was implausible that someone so attractive would need to pretend to be a single father to meet women. He nevertheless appears in the film (sort of) - he is on the cover of an issue of "Esquire" magazine that Will is reading in his flat.
* The quote "No man is an island" which Will jokingly attributes to Jon Bon Jovi, was actually written by John Donne in 1624, in his work "Meditation XVII".
* Jon Bon Jovi, who both Marcus and Will attribute the phrase "no man is an island" used the quote in the opening lyrics for the song "Santa Fe" from his soundtrack for the movie *Young Guns II: Blaze of Glory* (1990).
* The scene where Marcus accidentally kills the duck with the loaf of bread is where the famous statue of Peter Pan is located in Kensington Gardens. Peter Pan is of course the boy who never grows up.
* Like Nick Hornby's other film adaptation *High Fidelity* (2000), the initial pitch for this film was to relocate it to the USA with George Clooney attached as the lead.
* Some queried the choice of an American directing a very English subject, but Chris Weitz is not only an Anglophile, he actually studied at Cambridge University.
* In Ali's room you can see a flag for the football (soccer) team Arsenal. Nick Hornby, author of the book on which the movie is based, is a die-hard Arsenal supporter.
* Emma Thompson was offered a role.
* One of the television programs Will and Marcus is seen watching is *Xena: Warrior Princess* (1995).

## Connections

### Version of

* *About a Boy* (2003) (TV Movie) - based on the same book
* *About a Boy* (2014) (TV Series) - based on the same book

### References

* *Rosemary's Baby* (1968)
* *Sesame Street* (1969) (TV Series)
* *Jaws* (1975)
* *The Muppet Show* (1976) (TV Series)
* *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (1987) (TV Series)
* *Candyman* (1992) - Video case is shown as part of Will's collection.
* *Titanic* (1997) - Video case is shown as part of Will's collection.
* *Rushmore* (1998)
* *The Sixth Sense* (1999)
* *Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone* (2001)
* *Long Time Dead* (2002)

### Referenced in

* *Just Shoot Me!: About a Boy* (2002) (TV Episode) - title reference
* *According to Jim: About a Girl* (2003) (TV Episode) - Title reference

### Features

* *Bride of Frankenstein* (1935)
* *Young Frankenstein* (1974)
* *Jaws* (1975)
* *Countdown* (1982) (TV Series) - Will (Hugh Grant) is seen watching the show on more than one occasion.
* *Xena: Warrior Princess* (1995) (TV Series)
* *Pet Rescue* (1997) (TV Series) - Will and Marcus watch program
* *Who Wants to Be a Millionaire* (1998) (TV Series)
* *Billy Elliot* (2000)
* *Countdown: Episode #44.69* (2001) (TV Episode) - Clips are shown