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About a Boy (2002)

PG_13 101 min  -  Comedy | Drama | Romance  -   17 May 2002 (USA)
7.2
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Ratings: 7.2/10 from 77,288 users   Metascore: 75/100 
Reviews: 371 user | 151 critic | 38 from Metacritic.com

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

Directors:

Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Writers:

Nick Hornby (novel), Peter Hedges (screenplay), and 2 more credits »
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Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 wins & 20 nominations See more awards »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hugh Grant ...
Nicholas Hoult ...
Sharon Small ...
Madison Cook Madison Cook ...
Jordan Cook Jordan Cook ...
Nicholas Hutchison Nicholas Hutchison ...
Ryan Speechley Ryan Speechley ...
Joseph Speechley Joseph Speechley ...
Toni Collette ...
Natalia Tena ...
Ellie (as Nat Gastiain Tena)
Laura Kennington Laura Kennington ...
Tanika Swaby Tanika Swaby ...
Peter McNicholl Peter McNicholl ...
Christopher Webster Christopher Webster ...
Ben Ridgeway Ben Ridgeway ...
Lee
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Storyline

Twelve year old Marcus Brewer lives with his chronically depressed single mother, Fiona Brewer. Both Fiona and Marcus beat to their own respective drummers. Marcus will do whatever he can to make his depressed mother happy, even if it causes himself grief. As such, he realizes that he is perceived as different than most kids, as even the self-professed weird kids don't want to hang out with him as he is the target of bullying. Part of the taunts against him are the fact that he sings and speaks to himself without even realizing that he is doing it. Meanwhile, thirty-eight year old Will Freeman is a slacker who has lived comfortably off the royalties of a song written by his deceased father, and as such has never had to work a day in his life. He is a solitary man who places himself as the first and only priority in life. He comes across the idea that dating single moms meets his selfish carnal needs... Written by Huggo  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Boy | Single Mother | Dating | Single Father  | See more »

Taglines:

Growing up has nothing to do with age.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some thematic elements See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Country:

UK | USA | France

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

Pour un garçon See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$27,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£3,747,966 (UK) (28 April 2002) (446 Screens)

Gross:

$84,600,000 (Worldwide) (17 November 2002) (except USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

DTS  | Dolby Digital  | SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

In the novel, the music that Will introduces Marcus to - and so in turn bonds with Ellie over - is not rap, but the band Nirvana. The book is actually set during the 1993-1994 period, and the story climaxes with the kids learning of and being affected by Nirvana lead singer Kurt Cobain's 4/5/94 suicide (which within the context of the story has additional significance for Marcus). The title of the story is itself a pun on the Nirvana song "About A Girl". See more »

Goofs

Continuity: At the end of the movie, before Will sits on the couch with Marcus, he picks up a nearly full bottle of beer. When he sits on the couch, the beer bottle is almost empty. See more »

Quotes

[Fiona is crying]
Fiona: I mean, he's a special - very, very special boy and he's got a special soul, and I've wounded it.
Will: Oh, please, just shut up. You're wounding my soul.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Film Geek (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

"Zoo Station"
By The Edge (as Evans), Bono (as Hewson), Adam Clayton (as Clayton) and Larry Mullen Jr. (as Mullen)
Performed by U2
Courtesy of Universal-Island Records Limited See more »