About a Boy. Film Analysis

The film ‘About a Boy’ directed Paul Weitz goes through the ups and downs of a 12 year old boy called Marcus Brewer (Nicholas Hoult). Marcus has started at a new school and is attacked and harassed by bullies. His mum Fiona Brewer (Toni Collette) battles through life raising Marcus by her own while fighting depression. Will Freeman (Hugh Grant) a thirty six year old man with no job, wife and kids becomes close friends to Marcus; he helps out Marcus problems with the bullies and assists with Fiona’s battle with depression. The film makers use humour throughout the movie to divide up the serious incidents of the film to enable us to joke. Marcus the Protagonist starts a new school but his poor appearance such as a terrible hair cut, non suitable clothes, his relationship with his mum and singing in class sets him up to be a prime target for bullies. Marcus’s hair was what people call a ‘bowl cut’ very flat and a long fringe, this made his look awful and it made him stand out notably. Marcus’s mum was a hillbilly she dresses poorly and her personally made her a laughing stock. An example of bullying is the film was when Marcus and his mum, walked to school, at the front yard of the school his mum yelled out “I love you” and Marcus replied with “I love you too”, students all took notice of this and laughed at him. The director Paul Weitz shows humour in the film “About a Boy” by splitting up the serious components of the movie and setting a funny moment in between. This is shown when Marcus was sitting in class and then he starts singing, making everyone laugh because he is different.
Marcus’s mum Fiona suffers from depression throughout the film “About a Boy” this makes Marcus’s life very difficult trying to help his mum while battling his own problems. Fiona’s crying in the mornings makes Marcus upset as he thinks that he is the trouble but with his mum having to work and look after Marcus as she is single, it make her life very hard not having any enjoyment.