About a Boy

About a Boy (2002)

Timing: 1:41 (101 min)

6.672/10
2137

7.33/10
61429

7.1/10
200000

All about film

Video 2

Photo 19

Actors and characters

Release date

2002-04-26

Country

France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States

Production

Universal Pictures, StudioCanal, Working Title Films, Tribeca Productions, Kalima Productions

Genre

Drama, Comedy, Romance

Budget

$30 000 000

Revenue

$130 549 455

Website

http://movies.uip.de/aboutaboy/

Director

Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz

Actors

Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, Rachel Weisz, Natalia Tena, Victoria Smurfit, Augustus Prew, Sharon Small, Madison Cook, Jordan Cook
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Robert De Niro, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Brad Epstein, Jane Rosenthal, Nick Hornby, Lynn Harris

Operator

Remi Adefarasin

Composer

Badly Drawn Boy

Artist

Rosie Hardwick

Audition

Priscilla John

Editing

Nick Moore
All team (90)

• The film is based on the novel by Nick Hornby “About a Boy” (1998).
• Brad Pitt turned down the lead role of Will Freeman, stating that it would be simply unbelievable if someone as attractive as him had to pretend to be a single father in order to meet women. Nevertheless, we can see him in the film (in a way) – on the cover of Esquire magazine, which Will is reading at home.
• The role in the film was offered to Emma Thompson.
• In Ali's room, you can notice the flag of the English football team "Arsenal". Nick Hornby, the author of the novel on which the film is based, is a die-hard "Arsenal" fan.
• While Will describes searching the internet as one of his constant pastimes, he types in the following web address: http://www.supermodelswithseethroughtops.com/. This is a real website consisting of only one photograph of Pope John Paul II in his "Popemobile".
• Brad Pitt turned down the lead role intended for Will Freeman, explaining that it would simply be unbelievable if someone as attractive as him had to pretend to be a single father in order to date women.
• The role in the film was offered to Emma Thompson.
• The shot of Will’s reflection in the mirror while he’s depressed was filmed during a break in filming by Hugh Grant, who played the role. Directors Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz noticed how gloomy Grant looked when he wasn’t in front of the camera and continued filming without informing the actor.
• In Nick Hornby’s 1998 novel, which served as the literary source for the screenplay, it is Hugh Grant’s character who introduces the character played by Nicholas Holt to the music of Nirvana (and this subsequently leads Holt’s character to connect with Ally, played by Natalia Tena). The novel is set in 1993-1994, and the plot reaches its climax when the characters learn about Kurt Cobain’s suicide. The novel’s title is a reference to Nirvana’s song “About A Girl” (1989).
• When Will and Marcus sing on stage, an apple is thrown at Will. In reality, it was a ball painted to look like an apple, purchased from a nearby sporting goods store.
• Brad Pitt turned down the lead role intended for Will Freeman, explaining that it would simply be unbelievable if someone as attractive as him had to pretend to be a single father to date women.
• The role in the film was offered to Emma Thompson.