Many movies come and go, striving to be a big hit, entertaining us as they go along. Some movies fail miserably, some remain in the middle, and then some make it. The movie About A Boy, starring Hugh Grant, falls into the category of making it. The plot is generic: bad guy turned good guy, and nerdy kid finally fits in, but this generic "chick-flick" plot line is intertwined with clever humor allowing the movie to be more entertaining. About A Boy fulfills the requirements of a good comedy: abnormal characters, as shown through style and fashion, character development, humorous language, as well as the all-important entertaining plot. .
The heart of the movie is Will, a never employed 38 year-old bachelor. Will is proud to be "an island" without any attachments and enjoys his lifestyle. He comes up with a clever idea to meet single mothers through a support group, SPAT. His plan is inevitably faltered, and he becomes entwined with a young boy, Marcus, whose mother is hit by depression. Marcus seeks attention from Will daily, tearing into his "busy" schedule. However, Will and Marcus ultimately develop a relationship that helps both of them to learn important life lessons. Marcus begins to fit in and Will's island is opened. Apart from the plot, the characters contribute to the comic expressions in the movie.
Will surrounds himself with ultra-modern electronics. "His London flat looks like a showroom for Toys for Big Boys." (Ebert) His offbeat accent and use of British profanity throughout the movie adds to his quirky nature. His lifestyle is a bit uncanny as he simply lives off the royalties of his father's one-hit-wonder "Santa's Super Sleigh" He breaks his activities down into units of time consisting of thirty minutes, the only sense of structure that he needs and wants. The development of his character is comedic because he is thrown into the cautic world of single parents without a clue as to what their lives really involve.
