Thirtysomething Going On Thirteen-something (About a Boy)

When sitting down for the first time to watch About a Boy, I really didn't know what to expect. Hugh Grant is cool, but prior to this movie, I can honestly say that I could take him or leave him. The same can be said about Rachel Weisz and Toni Collette - as I'd just not seen enough of them to appreciate them. The only thing I'd seen by the Weitz Brothers was American Pie - which I saw in the theater but walked out feeling a little dirty and childish for laughing at some of the jokes that I did laugh at. About a Boy seems to highlight what's great about all the aforementioned. Hugh Grant is wonderful as the spoiled thirtysomething living the dream life but still missing something meaningful. The Weitz Brothers take Nick Hornby's work and seem to understand it very well and keep it smart. Thinking back, Hornby was the entire reason I was sitting in a theater opening night for this. Alicia had been reading him for years and loved his work. It didn't hurt that I loved High Fidelity - which was also based on his work.

Nick Hornby's story was the cause for my excitement for the movie. Since High Fidelity, Hornby has built a reputation for working with great musicians as well and having the talent to pair fantastic music with the stories he tells. This one isn't any different. He chooses Badly Drawn Boy to create the soundtrack. Coincidentally (or not) I had been listening to Badly Drawn Boy previous to this movie's release. The pairing of the story and the music was enough for me to look forward to seeing it in the theatre.

I've been a fan of Hugh Grant since Four Weddings and a Funeral, which now that I think about it, is a movie I adore that we do not own. As Will, Hugh Grant comes across as, bluntly put, a jerk. He is out for nothing but his own personal gain and isn't accountable for casualties that may happen to get in the way. He uses lies and manipulation to get a date. He lives off the royalties of a Christmas song his father wrote. He does nothing else and has no shame. As an audience, we aren't suppose to like Will and, as an audience, we don't. I like how different Grant plays this role as opposed to other roles he had in past films. He isn't the stumbling but charming guy who we immediately root for from start to finish. He is the overly confident guy who, despite his actual age, needs a lesson in growing up.

Will goes to a support group for single parents that have been dumped. The only problem is that he doesn't have a child. I also get the feeling he'd never been in a relationship in which he was dumped. Grant meets Marcus because he goes on a date with one of the mothers at the support group who agreed to watch Marcus at the same time as his date. When returning Marcus to his mother's they find her unconscious after taking a bottle of pills - a suicide attempt. Marcus decides quickly that he needs extra help to watch over his mother. Though I think Marcus' original intent is to set up his mother (Toni Collette) with Will - he quickly recognizes that it won't work. They're too different - which is funny - because after watching Marcus and Will bond, you realize that they're quite different as well - and what Will needed was someone to need him. I really do love this Oscar nominated script - and pulled for Grant to get a nomination of his own. I believe this to be one worth repeat watching - as you'll laugh at something new every time and enjoy listening to Badly Drawn Boy's perky soundtrack.

Something I've noticed with the film interpretations of Nick Hornby's work is the integrity of the author remains in tact. I have this assumption Hornby was involved with the creation of each film. As a fan of Hornby's work, this is wonderful to see.