Boys Will Be Boys. Spoiler Free Advance Review: About A Boy - “Pilot”

Season 1, Episode 1

Air Date: Saturday, February 22, 2014, 11:07 ET/PT on NBC

Rating: ★★★★★

Benjamin Stockham as Marcus and David Walton as Will

After making it big writing a hit song, Will Freeman (David Walton) is living a carefree life until single mother Fiona (Minnie Driver) and her 11-year-old son Marcus (Benjamin Stockham) move in next door, complicating things for everyone. Unfortunately, their two lifestyles don’t mesh very well.

For the record, I have never read the novel upon which the series is based, Nick Hornby’s About A Boy, nor have I seen the 2002 movie version starring Hugh Grant. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to check out this new NBC series; actually, I think it helps that I had no preconceived notions going in.

Full disclosure, I love kids but don’t have any and because of that, I found myself relating to Will. My first job was coaching t-ball and soccer for my city’s programs. After a few summers, some of the local schools had me come in to run their after-school sports programs. And years later, I traveled to Alaska to teach rock climbing at a summer camp for two seasons. I love the connection adults can have with kids, especially when the children’s vivid imaginations are involved. It is an amazing experience seeing the world through the eyes of a child, and it is why I was able to relate to the relationship between Will and Marcus. I digress…

Sadly, we now live in different times where an adult male hanging out with an 11-year-old is looked upon with suspicion, questions, and judgments. Thankfully, the writers do such a great job of creating Will’s character, it is easy to understand why Marcus finds him so intriguing, and that’s what makes About A Boy work so well.

Benjamin Stockham as Marcus and David Walton as Will

About A Boy could easily have turned into a Big Daddy type of comedy filled with fart jokes and other inane moments but instead, it takes more of a heartfelt route that doesn’t dumb things down for the audience just because a kid is involved.

I originally saw the “Pilot,” directed by Jon Favreau of Elf and Iron Man fame, about six months ago. Sad to say, there are moments that drag on as the characters are introduced. The second half, however, picks up the pace and despite an ending you see coming from a mile away, I admit my eyes were watery. I wasn’t sure, though, whether the writers would be able to make the stories work for an entire season.

But, I recently screened a few more episodes of About A Boy and enjoyed how each episode builds off the previous one. The hard part for the show is establishing a relationship between a man and a boy that does not come across as creepy. The writers do a great job with the give and take between Will and Marcus as each has their own reasons for wanting (or not wanting) a friendship with the other, and it comes across convincingly.

What really surprises me is how much heart About A Boy has, and while the life lessons are often meant for Marcus, they fit all of us in ways we can easily relate to. About A Boy is listed as a comedy but in my mind, the series is more a dramedy than anything else. The serious moments far outweigh the comedic ones.

Minnie Driver as Fiona, David Walton as Will and Benjamin Stockham as Marcus

The only real issue I have is with Fiona, who often seems out of place due to her many eccentricities. I found myself tuning out during the various scenes when Fiona is so over the top. Driver is such a great actress, her talents seem wasted in About A Boy, and I think the writers could have toned her down a notch and still made Marcus drawn to Will simply because he is lacking a male role model in his life. The good news is Driver’s character is often out of the picture allowing the guys to do their thing.

About A Boy isn’t really the story about a boy; it’s a story of an unlikely friendship and finding oneself in the process regardless of age. The ”Pilot” isn’t perfect but it does set up a good foundation for the following episodes and is definitely worth checking out.

About A Boy will have a special preview following the conclusion of NBC’s Olympics coverage, Saturday, February 22, 2014 at 11:07 pm ET/PT before moving to its normal timeslot beginning Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

For more information on About A Boy, visit the official website.

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Greg Staffa

I provide testosterone to the site. You won’t be reading about how nice a actress looks in a dress or how much of a hunk Matt Bomer is in my reviews. I describe colors using words like brown, not taupe. My twitter name is @staffaroadtrip because I love road trips and have done two different 48-state road trips since 2008. My favorite show is White Collar.