Intermission: 'About a Boy hits on serious issues with sense of humor

"About a Boy"

Directed by: Paul and Chris Weitz

Starring: Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette

Rated: PG-13

Paul and Chris Weitz are the brother act behind "American Pie," a hugely popular film that I haven't seen nor have any desire to see. Having had the infamous "pie scene" described to me hundreds of times is enough for me to know it's really not my kind of movie.

That's why I was so surprised at how engaging and funny their latest film, "About a Boy," turned out to be. Not a teen comedy by any stretch of the imagination, the film tackles some serious subjects but keeps its sense of humor.

Based on the novel by Nick Hornby, who also wrote "High Fidelity," another great film, "About a Boy" benefits from the casting of Hugh Grant as Will Freeman, the central character. With a less-charming, affable and good-looking actor in the part, Will's persona could easily be viewed as cynical and self-centered, not exactly traits that lead the average viewer to care about, let alone root for, a character. Grant, with his charm, wit and impeccable comic timing, turns Will into a pretty likable guy.

Will is 38, rich and a devout bachelor. Another interesting tidbit: He doesn't work. Will's dad wrote a novelty Christmas song, "Santa's Super Sleigh," back in the 1950s, and Will is living comfortably off of the royalties. This gives him a lot of free time to engage in what he loves best meeting, picking up, having casual sex with and then dumping, women. He loves the ladies but is deeply afraid of commitment.

After his latest fling, Will comes up with an ingenious way to pick up women, though one wonders why a guy who is rich and looks like Hugh Grant would need any schemes to get chicks. He joins a group called SPAT, which stands for "Single Parents Alone Together." He figures single moms will be less demanding and easier to split up with. At the first meeting, he invents not only a terror of an ex-wife, but a son, Ned, who is in his care.

All seems to go well, and he begins dating Suzie, a member of the group. Suzie has a friend named Fiona, a chronically depressed old hippie girl with a son named Marcus. When Fiona attempts suicide, Will accompanies Suzie to the hospital, where he has an encounter that will change his life. Marcus, a sweet, smart kid who is constantly being bullied at school, decides he should be part of Will's life. He begins stalking Will and soon discovers there is no little Ned.

Marcus starts popping by after school and on Saturdays to watch TV and hang out, and Will, much to his terror, finds he is starting to get attached to the kid. This can't be. As he's already explained, he "stars in the Will' show and it's not an ensemble piece ..."

Around this time, Will also meets Rachel, another single mom, and finds he may have real feelings for her, as well. What's happening here?

To try to make his mom happy, Marcus signs up for a school talent show. He plans on doing a version of her favorite song, Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly." He will also accompany himself on the tambourine Fiona gave him for Christmas. Will, being a worldly sort, knows that Marcus already tormented by most of the tough kids at school is making a really bad decision.

In act three, the talent show itself is one of the film's many high points.

Besides Grant's talents, much is to be applauded in the debut of young Nicholas Hoult as Marcus. He's not adorable like a lot of kid actors, but he's endearing and his performance reeks of realism. He and Grant play perfectly together. Marcus is wise beyond his years and Will is still somewhat locked in adolescence.

Toni Collette ("Muriel's Wedding," "The Sixth Sense") is wonderful in the somewhat smaller part of Fiona. Never one to rely on her looks, Collette gets parts because of her capable abilities as an actress. She's good here as usual. There are also four characters in "About a Boy" referred to as simply "Bitter Ex-girlfriend." One gets the feeling Will has more than four.

The film's climax is so completely "un-Hollywood," it felt like a breath of fresh air. Things work out well for all involved, but not in the sort of way that usually happens in mainstream movies.

The film on several levels touched me. For one thing, I kept asking myself, "Why didn't my old man write a hit song?" Actually, Hornby uses "Santa's Super Sleigh" to great advantage in defining Will's character. There are more than a few times the song pops up, much to Will's chagrin and the audience's delight.

Hope the brothers Weitz continue on this path. "About a Boy" is simply a great, entirely enjoyable, piece of filmmaking.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)