About A Boy

UK Release: 26th April 2002

Watched on DVD: Tuesday 21st February 2012

Rating: 12

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Runtime: 1hr 41mins

Tagline: Growing up has nothing to do with age.

IMDb Plot Synopsis: Based on Nick Hornby's best-selling novel, About A Boy is the story of a cynical, immature young man who is taught how to act like a grown-up by a little boy.

My Review: About A Boy is a classic feel-good film that not only celebrates British acting talent in Hugh Grant and the adorable Nicholas Hoult but is also an excellent showcase for British writing as it was adapted from Nick Hornby’s fantastic novel (of which I am a fan) and taken on for the screenplay by Peter Hedges and the Weitz brothers. 

The dialogue is spot on: extraordinarily honest and clever and the entire film has a gorgeous sentimental Britishness to it that I can’t help but love. 

It has a beautiful message to it that is really rather rare to find these days and it’s not to do with love and sex but rather family and friendship and that is a much purer lesson to learn and done with such loving humour. 

It’s a rather simple film but it is satisfyingly effective and... just works. 

Score: 7.5/10