I’ve read three of Nick Hornby’s four novels (and I’m looking for a copy of the fourth) and I thought the first film I saw based on one of them was terrific–I thought High Fidelity, starring John Cusak, was one of the best films of the ’90s. But given the flood of summer movies and the pace at which they drop out of the cinemas, I worried that I might miss this one until it arrived on DVD. But a meeting dragged me up to San Francisco and ended just in time for The Sweet One and I to take in a pre-dinner show at the Metreon.
About a Boy is, like High Fidelity, the story of a man (Hugh Grant plays Will) who refuses to grow up but is shown that what he’ll gain by doing so far outweighs any loss. In this instance by 12 year old Marcus. The movie starts with a pair of voiceovers, from Will and Marcus, that give quite different perspectives on the proper path in life. Will says that John Donne, who said “No man is an island,” was full of it. In our modern age, with a little bit of money and just the right attitude, one can live nicely as an island. Marcus figures just the opposite is true but he never had the chance to find out what money can do. His mom (Dad is a long gone doofus who apparently only shows his face at Christmas) is depressed and suicidal and Marcus decides that what people need, him in particular, is backup; that’s why the standard family has two parents. So he attempts to recruit Will off his island and into the nuclear unit. The movie shows how their worlds collide and their orbits change.
Grant is a fine casting choice for Will, just the right age and a suitable world weary face, though one wonders what Will has to be weary of. Nicholas Hoult doesn’t try and give us a slick, 12 year old as short adult performance as Marcus, he gives a very genuine, awkward resonant performance. Toni Collette, who came to our attention in the wonderful Muriel’s Wedding, is Marcus’ mom, who uses her eyes to show the depth of her character’s depression. Rachel Weisz plays the love interest but isn’t given enough to do, outside of one good restaurant scene, to really matter. The Weitz brothers, Paul and Chris, co-wrote and co-directed the film, moving up in class from their American Pie series, showing they can handle adult material too–there isn’t even a flash of skin to be seen–taking just enough from the novel to give us substantial growth for all three main characters and maintain a solid pace for the film’s 100 minutes.
Definitely Recommended
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