About a Boy

About a Boy (2002)

  • 93% of critics liked it
    (164 reviews)

  • 51% of users liked it
    (29,749,465 ratings)

London's most frequently eligible bachelor gets some lessons in growing up from a maladroit 12-year-old boy in this third big-screen adaptation of a Nick Hornby novel, directed and co-written by siblings Chris and Paul Weitz of American Pie fame. About a Boy concerns the parallel coming-of-age… More

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PG-13,
Directed By
,
Written By
Peter Hedges, Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz
Genres
Drama, Romance, Comedy
In Theaters
May 17, 2002 Wide
Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Derek Elley, Variety

    Pleasant and engaging, rather than laugh-out-loud funny or emotionally involving.

  • J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

    Few movies have made better use of Hugh Grant's shallow charm and amused befuddlement than this funny and well-paced adaptation of Nick Hornby's best-selling second novel.

  • David Ansen, Newsweek

    The first big studio movie of 2002 I didn't want to end.

  • Geoff Andrew, Time Out

    Hornby's crises and characters can be so facile, schematic and smugly moralistic that emotional substance can get overshadowed by fluff.

  • Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune

    The movie occasionally strains for crowd-pleasing moments as it pumps up the drama toward the end, but it more than earns our indulgence.

Read all 15 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Bob S


    Rated this high cause I dig Badly Drawn Boy. And cause if must do a chick-flick, you could do a lot worse.

  • Nicki M


    Nicey nice British comedy. Not even remotely believable in any way. It has not stood up to a rewatch. I remember initially enjoying this, but over 10 years later, the message is a bit irritating, and so is Toni Collette here. Still, if you don't dig too deep, it is enjoyable… More

  • Lorenzo v


    <i>"I am an island. I am bloody Ibiza!"</i> 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. <center><font size=+2 face="Century… More

  • Jason S


    funny

  • Melvin W


    Christine: You will end up childless and alone. Will: Well, fingers crossed, yeah. I was really surprised with just how good this movie was despite the rave reviews. Since it's a labeled a "Romantic Comedy;" I didn't have very high expectations. It's not… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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