About a Boy

Name: About a Boy
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: May 17, 2002
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Hugh Grant

2002

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 107 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 107 Ratings

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About A Boy

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: May 17, 2002 | PG-13

Starring: Hugh Grant

Summary: About a Boy is about a man (Grant) -- a handsome, rich, shallow, self-absorbed, irresistible cad -- and the unexpected relationship he develops with a boy he meets while trying to pick up another boy's mother. (Universal Pictures)

Director: Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Shawn Levy

The timing and cutting of the film are terrific, the build-up to an absurdly hilarious climax is just right, and the performances are near perfect.

Stephanie Zacharek

As close to mainstream perfection as I've seen all year. It gives us everything we want, need and deserve without batting an eye. Read full review

Marc Savlov

About a Boy knows exactly what it wants to do: It wants to make you smile, and grin, and then laugh with recognition, and it manages all three, again and again. Read full review

William Arnold

Hugh Grant is one of the true phenomena of new millennium moviemaking. In an era in which the broadest and most scatological comedy imaginable rules, he's built a career for himself as a sophisticated light comedian very much in the style of his hero, David Niven. Read full review

Rick Groen

The love that blooms is essentially between the boys. They both have some considerable growing up to do, but theirs is a true romance and it's awfully sweet. Funny, too. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Because a gradually thawing Will plays more to Grant's strengths, the second part of the film, helped as well by Rachel Weisz as a love interest, is much more fun. But it is still hard not to feel that this film is pushing us too hard, slickly trying to seem more honest than it actually is. Read full review

David Sterritt

Was this spiritless stuff really directed by Paul and Chris Weitz of "American Pie" fame? How the rebels have mellowed! Read full review

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User Reviews

SusanL.

Mar 1, 2008

A self-absorbed metrosexual becomes human. A wonderful exploration of masculinity in a post-feminist age.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

lansk14529

Jan 7, 2019

Very well crafted dialogue and fantastic soundtrack. The relationship between Hoult and Grant is probably one of Grant's most enduring.