About a boy (2002)
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A carefree man living in London finds his isolated lifestyle disrupted when he forms an unexpected bond with a lonely boy.
The story
Will Freeman lives a carefree lifestyle in London, supported by royalties from his father's successful Christmas song. He prides himself on his independence, even rejecting the idea of being part of a community. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he joins a single parents group under a false pretense. There, he meets Suzie and her friend's son, Marcus. When a medical emergency involving Suzie's friend, Fiona, forces Will and Suzie to take Marcus home, Will finds himself entangled in the lives of a struggling mother and her lonely son, leading to an unlikely connection between the two men.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Will Freeman lives a carefree lifestyle in London, supported by royalties from his father's Christmas song. He joins a single parents group under the guise of having a child to experience the community. He meets Suzie and her friend's son, Marcus, a bullied boy who is very close to his mother, Fiona. After Fiona is hospitalized following a suicide attempt, Marcus becomes determined to find her a boyfriend and tries to involve Will. Marcus eventually discovers Will's lie about having a child and blackmails him into a friendship. They bond over shared interests, and Will buys Marcus shoes to help him fit in at school. After a series of complications involving a second woman, Rachel, and a failed romance, Will realizes he misses Marcus's company. He eventually reconciles with Marcus and helps him during a humiliating school performance. By the following Christmas, Will has abandoned his previous lifestyle and is in a relationship with Rachel, while Marcus and his friend Ellie remain close.
- First release year
- 2002
- Runtime (minutes)
- 101
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; France; Germany; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Paul Weitz; Chris Weitz
- Writers
- Peter Hedges · screenplay; Chris Weitz · screenplay; Paul Weitz · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Hugh Grant · Will; Nicholas Hoult · Marcus; Toni Collette · Suzie; Rachel Weisz · Fiona
- Genres
- comedy-drama; romantic comedy-drama; buddy comedy-drama; coming-of-age comedy-drama
- Themes
- loneliness; fatherhood; mental health; friendship
- Tone and mood
- comedy-drama; heartfelt
- Premise and plot tags
- unlikely friendship; hidden identity; coming-of-age
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1998 novel by Nick Hornby
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film received critical acclaim and was selected by the American Film Institute as one of the ten best movies of the year in 2002.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 93% · scale: percentage · review count: 185; Metacritic · score: 75 · scale: 100 · review count: 38
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a novel by Nick Hornby.; The soundtrack was composed by Badly Drawn Boy.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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