--- title: "About a Boy" year: 2002 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/about-a-boy" fi1m_id: "about-a-boy" imdb_id: "tt0276751" tmdb_id: 245 wikidata_id: "Q1129227" fi1m_score: 77 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 13 published: "2026-10-05T02:48:05.905741+00:00" updated: "2026-10-05T02:48:06.253350+00:00" region: "DK" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # About a Boy (2002) Directed by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz · 1h 41m · Drama, Comedy, Romance ## Identity About a Boy - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/about-a-boy - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** about-a-boy - **IMDb ID:** tt0276751 - **TMDB ID:** 245 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1129227 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276751/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/245, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1129227 **Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 68 from 13 reviews *In a sentence:* Hugh Grant looks politely appalled at being asked to grow up > Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult make *About a Boy* a funny, touching comedy about an unlikely friendship. The women get less room, and the sentiment sometimes needs a firmer hand, but the central pairing earns our affection. ## Synopsis An unlikely friendship brings Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) together with Marcus Brewer (Nicholas Hoult), with neither quite equipped to deal with the other. Will is the adult and Marcus the boy, but growing up is a concern for both of them. Their relationship develops alongside the difficulties facing Fiona Brewer (Toni Collette), whose depression brings another set of needs into their lives. Will’s detachment becomes harder to maintain as he gets to know Marcus. The friendship asks how far Will is prepared to change and what the boy can expect from him. ## Review [*About a Boy*](https://film.one/tv/about-a-boy-2014) is a good comedy about an unlikely friendship, with a performance from Hugh Grant that is worth rather more than the familiar lesson about growing up. Directors Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz trust the awkwardness between him and Nicholas Hoult, and the film is funniest when neither appears to be trying to please us. Adapting Nick Hornby’s novel with Peter Hedges, they keep the central relationship from becoming too respectable. Some of the surrounding characters could use the same attention. Hugh Grant plays Will Freeman with a precise sense of how little to give away. His blankness is funny because there seems to be some calculation behind it: perhaps a sufficiently unhelpful response will bring this conversation to an end. We laughed at those pauses, and at the suggestion that answering properly would involve more work than Will considers reasonable. The performance keeps him interesting even when he has little of interest to contribute. Nicholas Hoult’s Marcus Brewer gives Will someone he cannot simply out-charm. The pleasure of their scenes is the mismatch in comic rhythm: the adult appears to be managing an encounter while the boy declines to supply the response that would make it easy. The younger actor earns sympathy without asking us to find every awkward moment adorable. In a coming-of-age comedy, where a child can so easily become a lesson for an adult, that individuality matters. The writing is less generous to the women. Toni Collette gives Fiona Brewer’s depression enough weight to stop it becoming an eccentricity, though the film sometimes seems too eager to make distress fit the comedy. Rachel Weisz brings assurance to Rachel, but the part has less room to develop than Will’s. The screenplay by Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz and Peter Hedges understands its central man more fully than the people around him, and that limits how far the feeling goes. Remi Adefarasin’s cinematography keeps small shifts of expression legible without insisting that each should be important. Jim Clay’s production design has a comparable restraint: the surroundings feel inhabited without competing for attention. Neither contribution makes an ordinary conversation feel like a grand occasion. That suits the material, although the visual modesty also means there is little to distract us when an exchange is less sharply written. Nick Moore’s editing is alert to the time a reaction needs; a quicker cut would often spoil Will’s apparent indifference. Badly Drawn Boy’s music adds an appealing softness, but it also helps make the sentiment feel more settled than the writing warrants. When the film presses hardest for an emotional response, the encouragement becomes noticeable. The friendship has already done enough to interest us without quite so much assistance. Coming-of-age comedies often ask children to be relentlessly lovable, and this one benefits from letting Marcus be awkward. Its growing tidiness is a limitation, especially when the central actors have made the discomfort so enjoyable. At 101 minutes, it gives their exchanges room without allowing the pace to become leisurely. We recommend it for their company, with a little patience for the film’s more insistent efforts to warm us up. *Fi1m score 77, published 5 October 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean towards approval rather than outright enthusiasm, with positive and mixed assessments but no negative verdicts. Hugh Grant is the clearest point of agreement: critics repeatedly praise his comic timing and controlled portrayal of Will, even when the film itself wins only qualified approval. Nicholas Hoult also earns praise for his performance and chemistry with Grant. The warmer accounts find the comedy funny, irreverent and refreshingly unsentimental, with an unlikely friendship that gives the coming-of-age story its appeal. The main divide concerns how successfully the humour and emotion work together. Digital Spy finds the storytelling both hilarious and affecting, while Variety considers it pleasant but short on laughs and emotional involvement, finding the emotional climax manufactured. The Guardian admires Grant’s intelligence but misses his earlier comic energy and questions the film’s earnestness. The spread is appreciable rather than polarised, though several partial reviews offer too little accessible detail to establish their reasoning. ## Straight answers **Is About a Boy worth watching?** *About a Boy* is worth watching for Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult’s funny, touching partnership, and we score it 77 out of 100. We recommend it for their awkward exchanges and dry comic timing, with some patience for the underwritten women and the film’s occasional insistence on making us feel warm. **How long is About a Boy, and what is it rated?** *About a Boy* runs 1h 41m. It is a drama and comedy film. **Where can I watch About a Boy in Denmark?** *About a Boy* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from kr 39.00. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is About a Boy, and is it suitable for children?** *About a Boy* has a UK 12 certificate, making it a more appropriate choice for teenagers than younger children. Fiona’s depression gives the comedy an adult concern that we would weigh when choosing it for a family evening; the certificate alone does not establish how much violence or frightening material it contains. **How does About a Boy compare to The Station Agent?** *About a Boy* offers a more sentimentally insistent take on reluctant friendship than [*The Station Agent*](https://film.one/film/the-station-agent), which we favour for the space it gives its actors. Both find dry humour in awkward company, but Grant and Hoult’s mismatched comic rhythms are the particular pleasure here, while Peter Dinklage’s watchful performance anchors the companion film. **Is About a Boy based on a true story or a book?** *About a Boy* is adapted from Nick Hornby’s novel, rather than presented as a true story, with a screenplay by Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz and Peter Hedges. We recommend it without requiring familiarity with the book: the awkward friendship between Will and Marcus supplies the comedy and feeling on its own. **What should I watch after About a Boy?** After *About a Boy*, try [*The Station Agent*](https://film.one/film/the-station-agent) (2003, Fi1m 82): The awkward business of accepting friendship, handled with patience and dry humour. Then [*Hunt for the Wilderpeople*](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople) (2016, Fi1m 82): A prickly adult and a difficult boy make unexpectedly good comic company; and [*Local Hero*](https://film.one/film/local-hero) (1983, Fi1m 86): Another comedy that finds warmth without requiring its people to become saints. ### Reviews we read (13) - **Radio Times**, Lorien Haynes (4/5): The review is positive about this British adaptation. It singles out Hugh Grant’s excellent performance as Will. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-c8w5yf/about-a-boy/) - **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The critic calls it a pleasingly skewed, very funny British comedy that delivers an enjoyable take on coming of age. They praise the chemistry between Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult, along with Hoult’s performance and the film’s irreverent humor. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/about-a-boy-review/) - **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (70/100, inferred): Kennedy finds the comedy-drama admirably unsentimental and consistently funny, with its positives outweighing its flaws. He singles out Hugh Grant’s finely calibrated comic performance, while noting that the supporting cast cannot match him gag for gag. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/boy-2-review/) - **The New York Times**, A. O. Scott (70/100, inferred): The review is broadly positive about the film’s comic take on an unlikely friendship. It singles out Hugh Grant’s performance as a highlight. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/05/17/movies/film-review-peter-pan-meets-another-lost-boy.html) - **Evening Standard** (65/100, inferred): The review is broadly positive, though it finds the women less successful than the central character. It especially praises Hugh Grant’s comic timing and performance. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/sex-and-the-single-mum-7432823.html) - **Screen Daily**, Sheila Johnston (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but the accessible text does not reveal the critic’s verdict. It also does not show what the critic singled out for praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/about-a-boy/408661.article) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby (64/100, inferred): The archive identifies a review of “About a Boy” but does not show the critic’s verdict. It provides no praise or complaint about the film’s particulars. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2002/06/03) - **Time Out**, GA (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a film review, but provides no verdict in the available text. Its metadata highlights the surprise of the directors’ previous work and Robert De Niro’s producing involvement. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/about-a-boy) - **Slant Magazine**, Alexa Camp (2.5/4): The review finds the film whimsically enchanting. It praises the clever performances by Hugh Grant and Nicholas Hoult, and singles out Toni Collette for bringing cheer to depression and suicide. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/about-a-boy/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (55/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film watchable and Grant’s performance serious and intelligent, but misses the comic energy of his earlier work. He praises Grant’s portrayal of Will’s blankness while faulting the earnestness and sketchy treatment of Will’s relationship with his father. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2002/apr/26/2002inreview) - **Variety**, Derek Elley (55/100, inferred): Elley finds the film pleasant and engaging, but not especially funny or emotionally involving. He praises Hugh Grant’s comic performance while faulting the film’s emotional climax as manufactured. [Read](https://variety.com/2002/film/awards/about-a-boy-1200550577/) - **Digital Spy**, Daniel Saney (85/100, inferred): The review finds the film hilarious and emotionally affecting, praising its grounded, heartwarming storytelling. It singles out Hugh Grant’s performance and character progression as especially strong. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a30085/about-a-boy/) - **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film surprisingly funny, unsentimental, and enjoyable. They praise the actors’ natural comic performances, especially Hugh Grant’s work as Will. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/about-a-boy-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Details - **Director:** Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz - **Director:** Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz - **Screenplay:** Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz - **Novel:** Nick Hornby - **Cinematography:** Remi Adefarasin - **Editor:** Nick Moore - **Music:** Badly Drawn Boy - **Production design:** Jim Clay - **Costume design:** Joanna Johnston - **Producer:** Tim Bevan, Robert De Niro, Brad Epstein - **Cast:** Hugh Grant as Will Freeman; Nicholas Hoult as Marcus Brewer; Toni Collette as Fiona Brewer; Rachel Weisz as Rachel; Natalia Tena as Ellie; Victoria Smurfit as Suzie; Augustus Prew as Ali; Sharon Small as Christine - **Runtime:** 1h 41m - **First release (the UK):** 26 April 2002 - **Genres:** Drama, Comedy, Romance - **Also in:** [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Nominee, 2002) - **Budget:** $27 million - **Box office:** $129 million ## Where to watch in Denmark - Amazon Prime Video: rent kr 39.00, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy kr 79.00, hd *Checked 2026-10-05.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BG, CA, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, HU, IE, IN, IT, LT, NL, NO, NZ, PL, RO, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2003: Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated) ## If you liked this - *The Station Agent* (2003), Fi1m 82: The awkward business of accepting friendship, handled with patience and dry humour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-station-agent.md) - *Kolya* (1996): An adult’s comfortable selfishness meets a child who requires more than charm. - *Hunt for the Wilderpeople* (2016), Fi1m 82: A prickly adult and a difficult boy make unexpectedly good comic company. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hunt-for-the-wilderpeople.md) - *The Kid with a Bike* (2011): A tougher look at a child’s need for dependable adult affection. - *Local Hero* (1983), Fi1m 86: Another comedy that finds warmth without requiring its people to become saints. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/local-hero.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/about-a-boy