I like About A Boy. I liked it when I first saw it. I still enjoy it now. Why? Well, here’s what
I had to say about it when I reviewed the Nick Hornby adaptation for Empire (Australia).
I think a lot of this still holds true…
People who fear commitment rarely make for quality entertainment. Sure, commitment phobia has provided the basis for plenty of trashy TV movies, appalling novels and Meg Ryan movies. For the most part, however, people who can’t ‘go that extra mile’ are no more a guarantee of good drama than cast lists featuring the likes of Tom Arnold or Pauly Shore.
This being the case, it’s remarkable that Nick Hornby has used the subject as the basis for a string of highly readable (not to mention, best-selling) novels, and more amazing still, that adaptations of his books High Fidelity and Fever Pitch have made for such enjoyable movies.
But while Hornby’s novel spin on the whole commitment issue - approaching
the subject from a male perspective - might partially account for the success of his work, the fact that About A Boy is so good has as much to do with excellent performances and subtle direction (from the makers of the American Pie movies,
no less!), as superior source material.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to As Luck Would Have It to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.