Who doesn't like this movie? - About a Boy (2002) Discussion

Me too.

I think a lot of high school bullies would hate it though.

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I know someone who doesn't like it mainly because she thought the scene where they find Fiona after her suicide attempt was like disturbing. But said person is a pretentious prissy prat who is highly irritating, so I guess that doesn't count .

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] gustaff90 17 years ago

YEAH! There's one!! I'd say it's 100% horsesshhhit!

Boring, unrelistic, annoying (especially the boy barging into other people's houses uninvited - I myself would have called the police and report him as an intruder, so for be bugggger off sounds too soft), PATHETIC. What a load of crraappp!

By the way, I absolutely adore Hugh and Rachel, but this movie... It's even worse than LOVE ACTUALLY!

A reforming tale, reminding me the "social realism" of Soviet writers - how to make a worth-for-nothing man a full-fledged member of society!!! For Christ's sake!!!

I am married, and I enjoy playing with kids (from ages 2 to 12), although do not have my own yet. But this sappy thing is tto much even for a "snug married"!

Yuck, why did I spend 2 hours of my precious life watching a film which's even worse than Brazilian soap operas????

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[–] HollyHop 16 years ago

I was entertained by the first part of the film but I was also disturbed. I am like the Will character and I'm happy being single and without children.
In the film Will is described as "blank"; why?! He's told that his life is nothing because he dosen't have a family, friends and a job.
The kid acts like he has every right to intrude and expect Will to solve the mother's problem just because Will's nothing to do anyway.

I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the film is such an insult (at least for me) to people who have choosen to be single and childless.

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] Professor_Peach 15 years ago

I was entertained by the first part of the film but I was also disturbed. I am like the Will character and I'm happy being single and without children.
In the film Will is described as "blank"; why?! He's told that his life is nothing because he dosen't have a family, friends and a job.
The kid acts like he has every right to intrude and expect Will to solve the mother's problem just because Will's nothing to do anyway.

I could go on and on but the bottom line is that the film is such an insult (at least for me) to people who have choosen to be single and childless.

So without family, friends, or a job, what is it that gives your life purpose?

I'm genuinely curious, do you have a great car and think that's enough or something?

I'm also single and no kids living with me, but my life would be pretty bloody blank with no friends and no family and no job and no purpose.

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[–] HollyHop 14 years ago

Ooops, I completely forgot that I had been commenting on this board. I was suddenly reminded of this film because the newspaper has a headline of how romantic comedies with Hugh Grant destroys relationships, lol.

I'm a year late here but I just want to mention that it's possible to live a full life without spouse and children. If I didn't need to work for money I could still travel, watch movies, attend concerts, shop, join a course etc. I don't need a purpose if I have fun :)
If I remember correctly Will had some friends but didn't have much contact with them.I don't really have anything in common with my friends so hanging with them often feels like a series of compromises, I often wonder why I bother. Will seemed a bit out of place too.

Don't tell me, it's no use to me. Tell yourself if you want to but don't tell me.

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[–] PlatinumScreen 13 years ago

i don't think will was described as blank because he was single and childless. he came across as blank to me because of his lies to further his own agenda. he only cared about what he wanted, therefore he didn't empathize with the other person, and that's where he appeared as blank and hollow to me.

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[–] menyinc 15 years ago

<< It's even worse than LOVE ACTUALLY! >>

It is common international decree that NOTHING EVER recorded on celluloid is worse than Love Actually.

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[–] swanstep 15 years ago

It is common international decree that NOTHING EVER recorded on celluloid is worse than Love Actually.

I'm so glad to hear that! I thought I was the only one whom _Love Actually_ drove completely up the wall! Anyhow, _About a Boy_ is an absolute cracker, and I've found it very useful to bring up when someone accuses one of being a heartless SOB (or whatever) because one detests Love Actually.

Thanks menyinc.

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[–] menyinc 15 years ago

Trust me you aren't the only one!

AAB is absolute cracker.

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[–] Lolification 15 years ago

I couldn't even make the hour mark with Love actually what a load of poo but I like about a boy

--------------------------
"I have to return some videotapes" Patrick Bateman

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[–] GewundadFeorh 14 years ago

What about 'Valentine's Day'? Haha!

http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?Elisa%20Smith

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[–] The_ROUSes 15 years ago

(especially the boy barging into other people's houses uninvited - I myself would have called the police and report him as an intruder

He didn't barge into Will's place. Will let him in. You're stupid.

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[–] MrAleisterCrowley 10 years ago

You mean "smug marrieds," not "snug marrieds," if you are referencing Bridget Jones' famous term, and the many misspellings, excessive, hyper use of exclamation points and question marks, and many grammatical errors in your post speak volumes about the quality of your thought processes. It was frankly painful to read. Soviet realism? Are you serious? Are you a teenager perhaps? I am a married man of 42, and I rather doubt you are a married man who enjoys the company of kids between the ages of "2-12." Or are you on medication? If you are an adult, your shallow dismissal of this film, referring to Marcus as "pathetic" in shrieking all-caps just in case we missed your scorn for a twelve-year-old character with an unstable home life and obvious emotional needs, is depressingly immature.

"I love those redheads!" (Wooderson, Dazed and Confused, 1993)

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[–] mietefan 16 years ago

I loved the book and couldn't wait to see the movie. Then I was sorely disappointed. I hated that they changed the ending. There was so much material to work with in the book, why create new material? And Ellie and Marcus's friendship was basically completely edited out of everything, cut to the deleted scenes section of the DVD. I wanted to see the train ride to Marcus's dad's house with Ellie, and how she got off the train and smashed a window, and everyone had to go to the police station. That's where the drama and heart of the story came together for me. Every adult in the story had to take the time to come together and realize their children are more important then their relationships and other petty problems. It's only after this event, with the help of his friendships with Will and Ellie, that Marcus is able to grow up a little bit.

Although I was one reader who also had an inkling that Marcus was autistic throughout the book and movie, I don't really mind that they make it about the way he was raised by a mentally ill mother. The mother/son dynamic, I really liked (in the book and movie). I liked that they basically kept the last scene of Marcus being a "normal" teenager. But I think the movie would've been a lot better and less confusing if they would've stuck to the original story and not come up with stupid new material when their old material was just fine. I'm not one to complain about the book being better all of the time (I'm also a big Harry Potter fan, and it's easy to enjoy the films and books separately and together). "About a Boy" just didn't flow for me. It wasn't coherent enough to stand on its own.

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[–] zena-1 14 years ago

It makes me a llittle uneasy in these days where we hear so much about child predators. How did the boy or his mother know that this single man wasn't one of them?

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[–] withdrawpassing 14 years ago

That's just a sad symptom of today declining civilization. Friendships like this will always be suspect and not possible because of perverts. 90 per cent of the rules are made for 10 per cent of the people.

I love this film. Usually watch it in tandem with Love actually. Or four Weddings and a Funeral.

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[–] miguelangel-23 14 years ago

Loved the movie, and my whole family too. I had a girlfriend who asked her if she ever watched and she said that she did and hated it. Only explanation she gave was " It was weird" Don't know what she meant by that.

Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?

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[–] mensur_sony 14 years ago

probably she didn't pay attention. oh, and coming to my opinion, I really love it, one of the few films I didn't want to end.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] modman-2 13 years ago

i hate RomComs and I really dislike Hugh Grant, but i really liked this movie

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[–] 13 years ago

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[–] 13 years ago

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