A boy who has to take care of the adults around him. A man who acts like a little boy. Meld the two types with pitch-perfect acting and you get — what else — “About a Boy,” a biting comedy I watch once or twice a year.
There are very few responsible authority figures around when “About a Boy” opens, and tweens and teenagers will revel in the concept of parents without a clue. Hugh Grant is a likable cad in London’s hippest neighborhood, living on royalties from his dad’s hit Christmas song and generally proving himself useless to society at large. He lies his way into a support group for single parents, just so he can meet hot moms.
His poignantly shallow life bumps into the more desperate tale of young Marcus (Nicholas Hoult). His own single mother is suicidal and blind to the bullying her seriously uncool son suffers at school. Marcus latches onto Grant as a ticket to a slightly better life, while Grant just as stubbornly urges Marcus to “bugger off.”
Chris and Paul Weitz joined with Peter Hedges and Nick Hornby to adapt Hornby’s terrific novel. Their work allows characters room to be venal and self-absorbed while remaining human and appealing, a tough trick for any comedy, and deserving of the Academy Award nomination their script garnered.
There’s a bit of swearing, and the mention of a suicide attempt might be too much for younger children. But watching with kids 12 or older is a pleasure because the characters and jokes play on so many levels. “About a Boy” boasts one of the most joyous and unexpected climactic scenes of modern comedy.
Michael Booth: 303-954-1686 or mbooth@denverpost.com
“About a Boy” PG-13 for mature themes including a suicide attempt, and profanity including a few f-bombs.Best suited for any fan of quirky, true-to-life comedy; kids about 12 or older.
