It's about a boy

It's about a boy

I have never much liked Hugh Grant. Mostly that's because in every movie I'd ever seen he played the same character. Smug, cocky, hind-end-of-a-mule's-father. Rumor had it that not only does he play that character extremely well, it doesn't really count as acting in the strictest sense because he's merely accentuating his personality. Especially in Notting Hill. Can't recall why I loathed that movie, but it makes me shudder.

And then I saw Love Actually. Which is now one of my favorite movies. And Hugh Grant was likeable. In fact, he's adorable. Not as adorable as Colin Firth. Or the guy whose name I can never recall, yet I can remember that his character name in Star Wars was Qui Gon Jinn. You know, the Schindler's list guy. But cute, and not playing the hind-end-of-a-mule's-father. So I grudgingly thought about giving up my prejudice Hugh Grant-wards. And two weeks notice was cute enough, and I liked him in Sense and Sensibility.

So, when Jess told me I had to see this movie, I agreed. Though she excused herself from any responsibility of my actually liking Hugh Grant because his character was remarkably similar to that which I hate of him.

But it was a good flick. The kid needs a haircut, but I think that's the point. Because at the end when he's finally allowed to be 'normal' - instead of a lunatic who clearly stepped too close to an alpaca - he wears oversized clothes, baggy jeans, and his hair is swept back from his part as if to show that he's finally 'one of the guys.' This is, of course, a British film. Because an American film would have actually cut his hair. This one relied too heavily on the audience making the leap that they are merely "implying" a change. That's a stage trick, you know. Actually, I rather suspect that his real mother informed them that her son could have an obviously butchered bowl cut, but under no circumstances was he to have a Mohawk.

Toni Colette was very good. She plays slightly neurotic very well (For those of you who don't recall, she was Harriet in the Gwenneth Paltrow Emma, and she was the mother in the "I see dead people" movie). And his love interest was the heroine from The Mummy (I can remember her name, I just can't recall how to spell it, and it's too much trouble to look up).

So, assuming I'm not the only person on the planet who hadn't seen it yet, you might consider renting it. And for more supremely-messed-up family movies, you might consider Home for the Holidays. We watched it last night. Very strange.