

Will Freeman is a good-looking, smooth-talking bachelor whose primary goal in life is avoiding any kind of responsibility. But when he invents an imaginary son in order to meet attractive single moms, Will gets a hilarious lesson about life from a bright, but hopelessly geeky 12-year-old named Marcus. Now, as Will struggles to teach Marcus the art of being cool, Marcus teaches Will that you're never too old to grow up.
Acting
Hugh Grant weaponizes his own charm against himself
Score
Badly Drawn Boy's melancholic indie soundtrack owns every scene
Writing
Nick Hornby's dialogue cuts deep while making you snort-laugh

Director
Chris Weitz
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Nicholas Hoult's first major film role; he beat out thousands of kids and had never heard of Hugh Grant.
The film captures pre-gentrification North London and the dying Britpop era—Rob's record store scenes are basically a memorial to 1990s UK indie culture.