About a Boy

About a Boy is a 2002 comedy-drama film directed by Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, who co-wrote the screenplay with Peter Hedges. It is an adaptation of the 1998 novel by Nick Hornby. The film stars Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, and Rachel Weisz.

The film was theatrically released on 26 April 2002 by Universal Pictures. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Actors Hugh Grant and Toni Collette were nominated for a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award, respectively, for their performances. The film received positive reviews from critics and earned $130.5 million against a $30 million budget.

Synopsis

In November 1993, Will Freeman lives a carefree lifestyle in London without any responsibility or commitments, thanks to royalties left to him by his father's successful Christmas song. He rejects the common phrase, "No man is an island," insisting that he lives happily as an island, despite disapproval from his married friends.

After a fulfilling and guilt-free fling with a single mother, Will joins the Single Parents Alone Together (SPAT) community group under the pretence that he is the father to an imaginary child, aiming to have the same experience again. He meets Suzie, whom he is attracted to, and Marcus, the socially awkward son of one of Suzie's friends, Fiona, unexpectedly on a planned playdate. When Will and Suzie take Marcus home, they find Fiona (who suffers bouts of depression) has attempted suicide and rush her to the hospital.

Marcus is very close to his mother but has no friends at school and is frequently bullied due to his awkward nature and appearance. Concerned that he may be left on his own if his mother succeeds at killing herself in the future, he becomes determined to find her a boyfriend and creates an awkward lunch date with Will, who is uninterested in Fiona.

Marcus spends a few days following Will and discovers Will's supposed toddler son does not exist. He uses the information to blackmail Will into dating Fiona, but Will refuses. Despite this, Marcus continues turning up at Will's home to watch television after school. They slowly form a bond, strengthened by Will buying Marcus cool new shoes to help him fit in better at school. However, the bullies steal the shoes, and Marcus is forced to confess to his mother that Will bought them, revealing they have formed a friendship and that Will is not a father.

Fiona confronts Will and demands an explanation. He retorts that he is only building confidence in Marcus because he is routinely humiliated and bullied at school. Though Will promises to cease further contact with Marcus, Fiona recognises that Will's genuine interest in her son is good for both of them.

Will joins Marcus and Fiona for Christmas, giving Marcus a Mystikal album and a portable CD player. Despite a tense exchange with Suzie, who has been made aware of Will's deception, he is asked to stay for Christmas dinner and genuinely enjoys his day with Marcus' family.

As Marcus develops a crush on a girl at school named Ellie, Will also meets Rachel, who seems interested in him initially but is turned off by his lack of profession or direction in life. When she begins discussing her son, Ali, Will mentions Marcus, and he allows her to assume Marcus is his son. For the first time, Will has developed a serious interest in a woman and asks Marcus to pose as his son.

Will grows closer to Rachel and eventually makes the awkward confession that Marcus is not his son, suggesting that Rachel is to blame for making the assumption. She then ends the relationship.

Fiona's depression returns, and Marcus goes to Will for help. Will, however, is still upset over his breakup and lashes out at him. He soon finds his previous life of self-dependence unfulfilling, missing Marcus's company. Will decides to reconcile with Marcus and talks to Fiona about her depression, but then finds out from her that he is due to perform at a school talent show that night, which would ultimately result in him being humiliated for the rest of his school life. As expected, Marcus' performance is greeted with brutal mockery, but Will joins in with a guitar, ultimately saving him from total humiliation.

By the next Christmas, Will and Rachel are together, and he has permanently abandoned his previous lifestyle. Will invites one of his Amnesty International colleagues to set him up with Fiona, and Marcus and Ellie remain good friends.