Drew On Movies #8: About A Boy (2002)

About A Boy (2002)

Is it weird that as a Scot-Irish mix I really like things from Britain? I mean I come from two cultures that have had their share of issues with the English, yet there's so much good stuff to come from there. Music, movies, literature, comedy- I think Monty Python is enough for me to forgive a few past transgression. There is just something about the English approach to these things that works for me and I'm not sure why. Hell, I'm not one for rom-coms, though I will give almost any movie a chance, but one of the few romantic comedy that I can watch freely is from Britain 2003's Love Actually, which I will likely review at some point.

That said, one of my favorite films is adapted from a British novel, Nick Hornby's  High Fidelity, which was Americanized but I can say after reading the book, the film and book are close enough for me to enjoy them. When I found out another Hornby novel had become a film, I checked it out, and admittedly, the trailers for it did not really hook me. Still, it stayed in my mind as I went looking for films to watch and decided to give it a shot.

That film is 2002's About A Boy, which while not the greatest rom-com I've ever seen, nor anywhere close to eclipsing High Fidelity in my good graces, is still an alright film. It's not breaking any new ground but it's got enough going for it that I'd call it worth a watch. Now let us review.

Plot

The film follows Will, played by Hugh Grant, a thirty-eight year old slacker who has never held down a job, living comfortably off the royalties from a novelty song his father wrote in the fifties. Will is self-absorbed, believe that every man is an island and as such he is the centre of things. Will's entire purpose seems to be to coast through life and get women, although he cannot hold onto them out of his own selfishness and the fact that as a whole, he is an empty person. At the same time we meet Will, we are introduced to twelve year old Marcus, played by Nicholas Hoult, an outcast at his school, the child of a single depressed mother who does little to aid his situation. Marcus is miserable as is his mother, but neither seem able to help the other and thus try to get through life day by day. Marcus and Will cross paths after Will has a brief relationship with a single mother who breaks things with him and thus absolves him of any guilt. Will decides to start courting single woman, believing they will do the same as the first one, look for a quick relationship before ending it. He finds a support group for single parents and invents a son so he may join, and begins trying to court a fellow member- who happens to be friends with Marcus's mother who also attends the meetings. When Marcus's mother declines to go to a group picnic, Marcus goes along with Will and the other woman, and after a strange situation with a duck and a loaf of bread, Will comes to Marcus's aid which surprises them both. Upon bringing Marcus home, they find his mother attempting suicide, and once she is stabilized, Marcus decided to set Will up with his mother so that he will have "back-up" if something goes wrong. Will declines, but Marcus blackmails him by revealing he knows Will has no son. Though the relationship does not pan out between Will and Marcus's mother, one does begin to form between the two men as Marcus starts coming by Will's apartment after school and the two begin to bond. Will tries to get Marcus to break out of his shell so that he will no longer be bullied, and Marcus gets Will to realize that there may be more to life then doing nothing. Along the way the two find love in their own lives and start to see that they can be happy if they try, something neither had done before. The ending is pretty expected but with a romantic comedy you get what you pay for, and you pay for a feel good conclusion to make you all warm inside.

Thoughts

Doing things a little differently with this one, as I'm not sure how much I could write for characters, lines and scenes on their own. Also, given the style of the film a favorite character is difficult as the two protagonists are the ones given the most development but also develop simultaneously- so it would need to be both or neither, and I'd rather not chose. So instead, some thoughts on everything as a whole.

Will and Marcus are believable, if not cliched characters. We have all see the caddish slacker who learns to love before, it is a staple of the genre and we know that if he is the main character he will change by films end. Likewise, the socially awkward child is also a film staple, and again, we know he will eventually grow into himself or at least start to break out of his shell in the end. That said, both are played well in this film- Will, while selfish, is likeable and you really feel for his conflict of interest- he likes the live he has been leading, but over time he realizes it is an empty existence, yet he does not know how he can change it or even if he wants to. He has his comfort zone, but to truly enjoy life you need to keep moving. Likewise, Marcus is a character you feel for, not only because you are supposed to, but plenty of us knew a kid like him in school, either we were that kid, were friends with them or just sat near them in class; you root for them because there is something familiar about them, and in the film you want him to succeed. He may never be the most popular kid in school but at least he will be happier then he was and that's really all we ask for, a little joy. The other characters of importance are Marcus's mother Fiona, played by Toni Collette, who can get on our nerves as the over-protective vegetarian-hippie mother who is ignorant of the problems in her sons's life due to her own problems and would rather believe everything is ok when it's not. We feel bad for her because we see that she is in a bad place and is depressed, but the fact is there are plenty of moments where she just seems to be closing her eyes to reality and you just want to smack her. Will's love interest Rachel, played by Rachel Weisz, serves little purpose other then to be the catalyst for Will's final decision to change his life. While with her he realizes that he is empty and has nothing to show for his life, but he cares for her and wants to be with her, a far cry from his earlier quick conquests. Outside of this the character is not developed much, but she serves her purpose in the narrative so it's allowed.

There are some great lines in the film, and while I'm not choosing one in particular there are a few that need to be explored. Near the film's opening Will is asked by a couple he knows if he will be their daughter's godfather. He outright refuses claiming rightly that he would be a terrible godfather. When the couple mention they thought he had some depth to his personality he replies

"No. No. You've always had that wrong. I really am this shallow"

It's a funny line but it really cements his character- Will is a selfish person, but on the plus side he knows it. There is no self-delusion, he knows he is an arse, but he also does not care. From this early point we are able to see who Will is, which also gives us an idea of where he will be going, what his story arc is going to be in the film. Likewise, during his first support group meeting and after hearing the women in the group talk about their ex-husbands, Will's voice over states

"I'll tell you one thing. Men are bastards. After about ten minutes I wanted to cut my own knob off with a kitchen knife"

Again, a funny line but also a moment of understanding- the kind of people the woman are talking about are Will's species- the assholes. For a moment he is actually listening to the things his kind of people do, and he feels bad. It doesn't last of course, but it is a sign that his earlier comment may not be entirely true- there is more to him, he just does not know it yet. Of course again, we know that by films end he will know and be better for it.

There is one scene that in my mind did stand out and while I would not call it a favorite scene, I do consider it important enough to bring up. Will is out with Rachel who believes Marcus is his son, not because Will said it, but after mentioning knowing a twelve year old who would disagree with her musical views and Rachel mistakenly believe that he is talking about his own child, Will runs with it but does not like it, unlike earlier when he had made up a child for the meetings. The weight of his unease along with his growing feelings for Rachel force him to tell her the truth, to a degree- he is able to say that Marcus is not his child but can't bring himself to explain the whole situation. He tries to joke about the whole thing but fails, especially when he brings up that it was Rachel who believed Marcus was his child and she turns it back on him. What makes the scene important is for the first time Will is trying to do the right thing because he cares, and the struggle he has to do it is hard to watch. You know he is going to screw the whole thing up but its already to late, you only want him to make it out alive and possibly with her. While the scene does not end well, it goes against expectations as it is Will who ends things and exits rather then the woman he has lied to. He comes to the realization that he has screwed up bad and rather then dig himself a deeper hole, ends things and walks away. This is what they call in stories a turning point, and from there on we know Will is almost ready to make the change he has needed to make all movie.

Conclusion

About a Boy is by no means a perfect film, nor is it the greatest romantic comedy around or that I have ever seen, although it might be in the top ten as I have not dug too deep into the genre just yet. That said, it is enjoyable if cliched, and the characters are likeable enough arctypes that want to see them succeed by the end of the film. It's a feel bad feel good by the end sort of film, and if that's your thing then it's likely worth a watch. Likewise, if you are a Hugh Grant fan, or a Nick Horby fan- although I have not read the novel this one is based on so I can't say how faithful it is, or you just like rom-coms, give it a look see.

3 Novelty Christmas Songs out of 5

That's all out of me, until next time and likely back to basics, I'm The Drew and I Be Awesome.