About a Boy

Based on the book by Nick Hornby, About a Boy follows Hugh Grant’s Will Freeman as he begrudgingly befriends an odd young boy (Nicholas Hoult’s Marcus) and his mentally-unstable mother (Toni Collette’s Fiona). Filmmakers Chris and Paul Weitz offer up a faithful adaptation that remains pitched at a level of watchable mediocrity virtually from start to finish, with the movie, though exceedingly well made and acted, unable to wholeheartedly capture the viewer’s attention over the course of its deliberately-paced running time. It’s clear, too, that the heartfelt revelations that crop up over the course of the narrative are unable to pack the punch for which the Weitz siblings are striving, which is a shame, certainly, given that there are plenty of moments here that could (and should) have provoked an emotional reaction from the viewer. Grant’s typically charming turn as the affable central character goes a long way towards keeping things interesting, while the talented supporting cast, which includes Rachel Weisz and Natalia Tena, adds welcome (and often much-needed) color to the proceedings. By the time the expectedly sentimental finale rolls around, About a Boy has confirmed its place as a thoroughly average piece of work that fares about as well as its passable literary forebear.

**1/2 out of ****