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by Jennifer Alpeche Published: January 29, 2003
Released in early 2002, “About a Boy” was a delight for admirers of Nick Hornby’s best-selling novel, fans of Hugh Grant, and moviegoers in general. Directed by the brothers behind “American Pie,” this very-British comedy was not at all high-school. Rather, it was a serious and sophisticated film, focused on issues such as depression and peer pressure. Led by a roguish Grant as the self-indulgent Will and a spot-on Nicholas Hoult as the determined, caring Marcus, “About a Boy” offered audiences 101 minutes of heart and laughter, full of colorful characters with something to say about family, friendship, love, and society. The story takes place in North London and centers on two boys. One a young boy with a mother suffering from depression (Toni Collette) and a 38-year-old man who never quite grew up. As established by the opening scenes, these two lives will eventually intersect and affect one another greatly. Both boys do some growing up during the course of the film, and once we reach the climatic music assembly -- where Will must decide once and for all what’s really important in this world: himself or others -- tears are a given. Thrown into the mix is Marcus’s hippie mum Fiona, who is battling depression and who loves Marcus most in this world. His performance at the music assembly -- a risky venture for any teenager -- is carried out because he just wants to see her happy. We also meet single-mom Rachel (Rachel Weisz), who Will can’t quite snowball like the other women he’s dated. Her rejection of him helps him on his way to adulthood, and she’s of course there to witness his rite of passage at the big music assembly as well. It’s a feel-good movie with some very charming dialogue. All British, all the time, and like “Notting Hill,” it gives us a true feel for what living in ultra-cool London is like today. Makes us wish we lived there too. The menu opens with a review of Will’s daily “units,” which then takes us through snapshots from the film, introducing us to the characters and their relationships. Each time a menu option is selected, the menu closes and a baby’s cry is heard in the background, leading us to the selected featurette. As far as extras go, “About a Boy” gives us some nice ones, keeping with the whole vibe of the film. There are no special effects or anything. It’s about dialogue, music, mood. The feature commentary with Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz is entertianing. The brothers make observations throughout, commenting on the actors, the shooting schedule, camera angles, inspirations. They mention Martin Scorsese a few times, citing that “Casino” was the basis for the double narrative of Will and Marcus, and that a camera trick at the end of the film was taken from “Bringing Out the Dead.” M. Night Shyamalan is also mentioned. Props to their fellow directors. They also talk about the actors of course, praising the work of their talented main players. They discuss the difficulty of adapting a novel into a screenplay and what needs to be done to capture the “voice’” of a novel. Reference again to the choice of double narrative voice. They also comment on the use of music, color choices, shooting conditions, and camera prentension. With two people making observations at the same time, there’s never a lack of information. If one doesn’t comment on a scene, chances are the other will. The movie is very short and the commentary breezes. There are a total of 9 deleted scenes totaling about 14 minutes. They can be watched with or without commentary by the directors, who explain why the scenes were cut, which for the most part are because they were a) too long or b) took us away from the storyline. A memorable comment: We thought we could spare you this and now you’re watching it -- I’m sorry. Humorous is a word to describe the commentaries. Another would be critical. Music is very important to the film, as far as character development and relationships, from Marcus and Fiona to Marcus and Will. The soundtrack that totally compliments the story was composed by Badly Drawn Boy, who we meet in a 20+ minute interview and through two music videos: “Silent Sigh” and “Something to Talk About.” Another significant musical aspect of the film is of course “Santa’s Super Sleigh,” a song written by Will’s father, so popular that Will can live off the royalties and not work a day in his life. Leading to his carefree, pulled-from-a-magazine-ad lifestyle. We only hear snippets of the song in the film, but the marvel of DVD gives us the entire song in a sing-a-long featurette, about 3 minutes in length. And then there’s the DVD standards: trailer, production notes, cast and filmmakers biographies and filmographies. But there’s also this one very cool, necessary, and useful extra: an English to English dictionary. Lasting about 3 minutes, this guide takes us to moments in the film when a very British word is used in a completely casual way, freezes it, and translates it for us who may be a little lost. Words like “slowcoach,” “off-colour,” “bloke,” “sod,” and “bloody.” Kinda underscores the whole “two countries separated by the same language” thing. It’s a great little extra. “About a Boy” is a film that deals with serious issues in a comedic way, but never disrespects. It knows it’s dealing with depression and self-indulgence, loneliness and friendship, love and family, and it knows it is based on a beloved novel. Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz are not exactly the directors one would think of to handle such material, but they do so wonderfully. And when you listen to their commentary and read through the history of this film, it is clear that their passion for Nick Hornby’s novel is what kept them focused throughout, knowing that they could pull it off in the end. “Brilliant.” Overall Rating: A for the film, B+ for the DVD. |
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