About a Boy (2002)

This is another in a long line of films straddling the line between "Christmas movie" and "has Christmas in it," to the point I'm torn which bucket to drop it in. The holiday sequences don't take up a significant portion of the runtime, and seasonal elements don't really permeate the movie in ways that make it feel particularly seasonable - I probably wouldn't recommend this specifically for holiday viewing, though I would recommend it as a movie. However, the holidays are referenced enough to signal the filmmakers considered them significant, and I have some thoughts on why that might be. In fact, the use of the holidays might be the one subtle thing in an otherwise fairly unsubtle dramedy.

To clarify, I'm not describing the bulk of About a Boy as unsubtle as a criticism - I liked it quite a bit. But the movie as a whole is fairly upfront about the points it's making and the ideas it's playing with. For example, it's clear from the start that the "boy" in the title is more a reference to Hugh Grant's Will than Nicholas Hoult's Marcus, despite the relative ages of their characters. Will needs to learn to be a man, while Marcus needs to learn to be a kid. I don't even consider this a spoiler - it's evident from the moment these characters appear onscreen. You're meant to "get it" immediately, to have fun with the comedy, and to follow along with what's essentially an adolescent coming of age story where the adolescent is pushing 40. It's intentionally silly but - impressively - handled in ways that pull you into the drama. The fact I found myself taking this seriously and becoming invested in characters this objectively outlandish is a testament to the filmmaking and performances. It all adds up to something pretty extraordinary.

I was also impressed the movie managed to keep me on its side despite having Will exhibit some fairly toxic behavior indicative of media from the early 2000s. He's a character who uses then disposes of women and isn't opposed to lying in order to get them into bed. Where this differs from, say, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, is that Will's behavior is exclusively framed as pathetic and juvenile. The movie's script and visual language are aligned on the fact there's nothing cool or enviable about exploiting women. That shouldn't be unusual, but - for the era this was produced in - it unfortunately was.

That's not to say this aspect couldn't have been handled better. Lying about something as significant as having kids with a potential sexual partner could arguably constitute attempted assault, as consent under false pretenses is not consent. Instead, the movie treats it as a childish prank, one women are rightly angry about, but nothing too serious (I know this was in keeping with the mentality of the time, but wrong is wrong). Perhaps the filmmakers realized this was a bridge too far, as he didn't succeed in sleeping with either of the two women he told substantive lies to (at least not until coming clean).

Still the movie's portrayal of Will holds up fairly well. Surprisingly, the aspect that aged the worst might be the decision to have friends and acquaintances regularly pressure him into traditional relationships and parenthood. At several points in the movie, he's shamed for not wanting to have kids or live a "normal" life. Trying to force parenthood on people who aren't interested (or worse, may not be capable) does no favors to them or their potential children, but the movie frames this as everyone around Will perceiving any life that doesn't conform to this expectation as unfulfilling. That's a pretty awful message in hindsight.

The plot is a bit complicated, but the movie never outstays its welcome. Ignoring complications, Will winds up meeting Marcus at a time Marcus's mother, Fiona (Toni Collette), is depressed and the boy is undergoing issues at school. After his mother attempts suicide, Marcus decides he wants someone else in their life to look after her, since he's unable to watch her as often as he suspects is necessary. He settles on Will and blackmails the older man into spending time with him. Will and Fiona have no interest in each other (she's an aging hippie, while he's a man-child living off the royalties of a Christmas song written by his late father), but before long he forms an unlikely friendship with the child. Will helps Marcus fit in better at school, and Marcus gives Will advice on acting like a grown-up.

When Will meets Rachel (Rachel Weisz), a woman he actually likes, he lies about his relationship with Marcus to create the impression he has a son, which would give him something in common with Rachel. Eventually Marcus convinces him to admit this to Rachel, who reacts the only way a human would under these circumstances: she basically tells Will to get lost.

Fiona's depression returns, prompting Marcus to sacrifice his chance at a normal life in school by signing up for a talent show, in the hopes of cheering her up by singing publicly. Will learns about the talent show from Fiona and races towards the school in the hopes of stopping Marcus, since (unlike Fiona) he understands the impact this will have on Marcus's social life. Will can't prevent the boy from performing, but he is able to grab a guitar and accompany him, partially salvaging the act and partially redirecting the animosity of the student body towards him.

Rachel is there, as well (her son is also enrolled), and she realizes that while Will wasn't entirely upfront with her, his relationship with Marcus is real. The movie cuts to Christmas, and we see everyone together for the holiday, including Will and Rachel, who are now in a real relationship.

That's the barebones version - I'll save you the various side characters and B-plots (though I will mention I appreciate that the movie gives Fiona her own character arc, in which she comes to terms with her limitations around understanding kids while also grasping the profound love her son has for her). But on the whole, this is enough to serve as a springboard to discuss the Christmas elements.

First, there's the song written by Will's father. It's a Christmas novelty song which Will hates, despite the fact it frees him to live a life of leisure. In a real sense, it's a lingering symbol of childhood shielding him from ever having to grow up. It's also a connection to his father, with whom the movie implies he had a strained relationship. The song is referenced numerous times throughout the film, both during holiday sequences and at other points.

The song also transitions us into a sequence during the holidays near the middle of the film. This starts with him hearing the song while shopping and having a very brief vision of his father. Put a pin in this - we'll circle back. Will spends this Christmas with Marcus and Fiona (along with some of their extended family and friends). On New Year's Eve, he meets Rachel, kicking off that subplot.

Lastly, the end of the movie circles back to Christmas with a very brief afterward assuring us everyone is okay. This has elements of growth associated with the passage of time and New Year's resolutions, though I don't think it's the main use for the holidays.

I think those are mainly here to tie Will to Scrooge.

Let's back up. When we meet the character, his voiceover establishes the idea that he's happy (or at least believes he's happy) on his own. He's living a life without attachments to other people: he desires no real relationships or connections beyond the superficial. His philosophy is that some men are islands, and that by embracing this he can live a full life. His relationship with Marcus, however, reveals that while his life may be full (though even this is revealed to be something of an illusion), it can't hold meaning without relationships with others. In short, he's learning that humanity, rather than his own comfort, is meant to be his business.

While this isn't the entirety of Scrooge's arc in A Christmas Carol, it's a major component. Over the course of the novel, Scrooge realizes the actual point of living is to forge relationships, most famously exemplified by his connection to Tim Cratchit, who he became a second father to. Marcus's issues are very different than Tim's (and both his and Will's arcs are different), but the connection they form is ultimately similar, as is the positive effect it has on their lives.

I suspect the vision (or hallucination, or whatever) of Will's father is tied into this idea. While the movie doesn't include any supernatural elements, there's absolutely a "ghostly" aspect to the shot. This also mirrors a similar experience Marcus had earlier: when his mother attempted suicide, he had a vision of her in a park (this... actually may imply a supernatural explanation, though if so it's very quick and ambiguous). Regardless, both - along with the Christmas sequences - evoke Dickens, which seems to be the template for Will's story.

I'm almost more interested in the implications surrounding that song, though. Granted, that also ties into "Christmas past" motifs, but I really like the idea of a man's childhood retaining its hold over him, preventing him from developing further. It's like Christmas is literally holding him in the past through unresolved issues from his youth.

I don't want to mislead anyone into thinking this is anything more than thematic details, however. Tonally and visually, there's very little Christmas present in the movie. If you're looking for a holiday movie to elicit nostalgia or feel "Christmasy," you're better off waiting to watch this until January. Just make sure you get around to it eventually - it's a good movie.