Washingtonpost.com: Live Online

The new film "About A Boy," based on Nick Hornby's third novel, is a story about growing up -- finally. Looking to meet women, Will (Hugh Grant), an irresponsible man/adolescent in London, invents an imaginary son and starts attending single parent meetings. He meets a 12-year-old boy named Marcus (Nicholas Hoult), who doesn't have the first clue about being cool, but wants to be. The two become friends, and each misfit helps the other. The film co-stars Toni Collette ("The Sixth Sense," "Muriel's Wedding") and Rachel Weisz ("The Mummy," "Enemy at the Gates").

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz, directed "About A Boy" and co-wrote its screenplay. They were online Thursday, April 25, to talk about their latest work. The Weitzs' other credits include directing "American Pie," producing "American Pie 2" and co-writing "Antz."

The transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

washingtonpost.com: Thank you for joining us this morning. So, tell us about "About a Boy."

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: It's a comedy in the vein of Jerry Maguire or "As Good as it Gets" a fair amount of cynicism along with the sentiment. (Paul)

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: It's about a guy who pretends to have a child in order to date single mothers and ends up getting stalked by the child of a suicidally depressive hippie mother.

Tampa, Fla.: Hi!

I thoroughly enjoy Nick Hornby's writing, and am looking forward to the film's release.

What first attracted you to the novel, and will the film's story line follow the book's, or will it venture off course a little?

Thanks, and best of luck!

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Thank you.

This is Chris -- I would answer, the same thing that appealed to you -- how good the book was. We've been very true to the spirit of the book, except the ending. Which I won't tell you so I can get your money.

We've been looking for a long time that had the feel of Wilder's "The Apartment" and when Chris read the book it felt like a classic comedy -- not of this era. Classic American comedies. Odd, considering it's a british novel. (Paul)

Washington, D.C.: Despite a fairly smooth physical transition from London to Chicago, I thought the movie version of "High Fidelity" lost a lot of the story's soul in crossing the Atlantic. Was there any pressure to set "About A Boy" in the U.S.? Any pressure to keep it in England?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: There was some pressure to set in the U.S. from American studios, but it seemed perfect for Hugh Grant since in real life he's somewhat in the position of the character in the novel. Hugh is at the point where if he keeps doing what he's become famous for he'll become self parodic. But he's capable of giving an incredible and real nuanced performance which doesn't use the props he's used in the past. He's also self-critical, claims he's shallow -- much like the character in the novel.

Also, the element of Hornby's writing -- obsession with American Pop Culture -- doesn't translate when it's an American person obsessed with it. It seems like "The Rainman."

Aquia, Va.: Hi there --

Did you have to tell hunky Hugh Grant to cut his trademark "floppy hair" for this film, or was it his idea? Thanks!

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: It was actually his idea. I think that he wants it to change the expectations of the audience and since this character is quite different from "Notting Hill," it made sense to us. (Paul)

But it was our idea to have him shave his whole body (Chris).

Charlottesville, Va.: Did you keep the movie set in 1993 and all its ties to Nirvana?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: We did not. We thought it would be a little strange to do a period piece set eight years ago so we updated it. (Chris)

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Plus it would have been impossible to get all those great songs in the movie. (Paul)

Plus, we wanted the whole soundtrack to be done by "Badly Drawn Boy" who we think is great. (Chris)

Harrisburg, Pa.: You've written, directed, and produced movies. Do you have a preference as to whether you would rather direct, write, or produce? Maybe you prefer the challenges of doing different jobs? Or maybe you hope someday to do it all: Write, direct, and produce your own movies?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: We feel like we do that already. We wrote and directed this one (Chris)

I think directing is preferable because there's nothing like being on the set and at the center of all that activity. (Paul)

Washington, D.C.: Based on the other movies you've directed, I have to ask candidly what made you think you could successfully adapt "About a Boy," a fairly subtle adult drama with comedic elements, to the screen. As a huge fan of Nick Hornby, I have to say I'm a little unnerved at the prospect of seeing "About a Boy." The actors you've chosen are terrific -- I happen to think Hugh Grant is at his best when playing a cad, rather than the adorable, hapless heroes he's played in "Four Weddings," "Notting Hill," et al, and I definitely applaud your decision to cast mostly British actors. But I am curious to know how you prepared yourselves for what seems like a huge departure from the outrageous teen comedies with which you've more commonly been associated.

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: I'm glad you asked that question. You're not the only person that was unnerved. YOu can add Grant and Hornby to the list. THe fact is that with 'American Pie' we never considered ourselves mavens of the teen sex comedy drama. In terms of our personal character, we're more in tune with 'About a Boy'. On the surface it seems like a huge departure -- but the same rules apply -- treat your characters like real people and find something identifiable for the audience (Paul)

Don't condescend to the audience. With American Pie we tried to treat the characters as real as possible, unlike most movies of that genre. Plus, all the gross out humor we put in "About a Boy" made it seem much more comfortable (Only kidding!) (Chris)

I would just add that I hope you give us our day in court. (Paul)

Tinseltown: Love the premise of your movie: how did you know my life story? How, if at all, do you research such roles?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: I think that for a lot of men life is a research project for this kind of role. Paul's happily married, but I'm in the position of the committment-phobic. And I think a lot of men who see the movie will find themselves in it. (Chris)

Arlington, Va.: Hi there -- I saw the film at a screening a couple weeks ago and wondered if you had any difficulty in navigating around the very unfunny specter of child molestation. Obviously the film made it clear that nothing shady was going on -- but do you worry that this type of relationship between Will and Marcus, common in real life but not usually portrayed in film or TV, might hurt the film's chances? Cheers on a wonderful, funny, touching movie!

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: I think its terribly sad that things have come to a point where every relationship between an adult and child is instantly suspect. It's obviously a very difficult issue to touch on and we tried to do it as lightly as possible. (Paul)

Children need mentors. And society still has to have a place for that relationship, especially in an era where there's not always a strong father figure around for a young boy. (Chris)

Potomac, Md.: I attended the screening of "About A Boy" last night, and I just want to tell the directors and writers that this is a wonderful film: well-acted, well-written and well-directed, it is heartfelt, smart, funny, entertaining and has some important messages about seeing what's important in life, taking hold of your life, being strong, making friends, growing up and accepting some responsibility in life, the importance that adults play in kids' lives and how much some adults mean to kids, the importance of being yourself, the need to be among friends and family (no man is an island), and several other relevant messages. All in all, a positive, upbeat, life-affirming film that deserves to be seen. Congrats and thanks for such a good movie.

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Thanks mom! (both)

But really, actually, we can't thank you enough. (Chris)

Maryland 'burbs: I've been writing screenplays and know it's virtually impossible to get a screenplay read let alone get a movie made.

How do I go about getting a screenplay into the hands of a pair like you, who write direct and produce? It seems to be up your alley: a teen romantic comedy with sex, love, high school hijinks, vomit and gastrointestinal moments!

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: The immediate answer is to send it to us care of William Morris in Los Angeles. The only way to get a shot is to keep on bugging anybody you know who has a connection with the film industry. (Chris)

Remember there are only about 50 stories in existence at any one time. So there's something probably like what you've written. It used to drive me insane that we would write then read someone else was doing the same thing (Paul).

Washington, D.C.: Did you have to conduct a long search to find Marcus (Nicholas Hoult)?

Also, had any of the cast read the book prior to being cast in the film?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Yes, it was a long search to find the right child. And it was very scary making that choice since we were bound to cast someone without much experience. (Paul)

ALso, you want to find a kid who is strong enough personally not to ruin their lives. Nicholas was one of the only we saw who didn't overact and he's become a good friend. And we certainly encouraged the cast to read the book. (Chris)

Arlington, Va.: How did you break into the business of making films? Congratulations on the movie, I'm psyched to see Rachel Weisz in a contemporary setting, though I am worried about the character she's playing.

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: She's not an Egyptoligist in this one. We had a long slow crawl to the bottom. It was about eight years that we dealt in the seedy netherworld of script doctoring. Then we got the opportunity to write Antz and then it was a natural step to go from a children's film to one of the most raunchy films of all time. But actually, basically, what we do is we don't read any scripts that are exactly like what we've last done. (Paul)

Well, Rachel is great in this film. I"m not sure what your fears are, but I think she's out to play an interesting character with real flaws. (Chris)

Washington, D.C.: In your opinion, how successful was the translation of Nick Hornby's High Fidelity to the big screen, and what changes did you implement in order to bring "About A Boy" to life?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: I think in a way we were lucky to adapt this as to "High Fidelity." In that movie, the character doesn't change throughout the course of the movie and while that might be realistic, it's also a bit depressing. "About a Boy" is equally cynical, but has much more hope and that helps me wake up in the morning. (Paul)

Arlington, Va.: I happened to be in London and caught the sneak preview showing there. I haven't read the book but must say I loved the movie. Hugh Grant is delicious as a self proclaimed jerk and the young boy was outstanding -- I'd love to see more of him.

Do you expect the film to do better in the U.S. or the U.K.?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: I think that it's more of a guaranteed hit in the UK because of Hornby's popularity and Hugh's status there. It's more of a question how well we'll do in the states. Going up against Star Wars we can't hope to out-hype anybody. (Chris)

Having said that, American audiences seem to react the same way as British audiences. And we sure as hell hope that it does well here. (Paul)

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Thank you for your comment.

Bethesda, Md.: Have you read any other of Mr. Hornby's books? Do you have a favorite?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: This is my favorite. I enjoyed "How to be Good." It got an unfair rap. It's the first to be told from a female point of view and I enjoyed it. (Paul)

Harrisburg, Pa.: Are there particular qualities you seek in actors? What do you think of method acting?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: There's actually different styles of method acting. One thing we look for is for them to not be crazy and have some politeness -- largely towards the crew -- it's important to us to have a good atmosphere on the set. (Paul)

Extreme method acting can be perturbing to other characters in the film. It was easier when that was the dominant mode. (Chris)

Rockville, Md.: Wasn't it easy to film Rachel Weisz because she's so beautiful? She takes to the camera so easily I'm guessing she didn't need much direction about creating a presence! And I guess the same goes for the other leads -- women find Hugh Grant incredibly attractive, and Nicholas Hoult is a cute kid. They all seemed to have a very easy-going, natural presence in the film. Did this make your job easier?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Yes. Of course you want charismatic people to star in your film. It makes it harder to pass the buck, though. I actually went to college with Rachel but I don't think she knew of my existence. (Chris)

Washington, D.C.: I'm sure you've sat in on a bunch of screenings around the country at this point for "About a Boy," similar to last night's screening. Do you still get nervous as the movie begins to roll about how audiences will react? It's an amazing film, by the way, and I agree with you on how "hopeful" the message is -- congrats to you both!

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Thank you very much. (both)

We get nervous every time (Chris)

It's pretty jarring because we can't change the images (Paul)

That's part of what's excited. THe only variable left is the audience's response. So a mixture of intense fear and excitement. (Chris)

Washington, D.C.: Hi guys,
How involved was Nick Hornby in the writing of this script? Was adapting a screenplay a strange process for you? Did you feel like you had license to write whatever you wanted, or were you trying constantly to stay true to the book?

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: I think we were just desperate to realize the potential of the material and to do that we had to diverge from the book on occassion. But because we loved the tone and implications of the narrative. Nick was actually writing his own screenplay at the time with Emma Thompson, so he didn't have time to help us too much. He's been very kind about the movie now that he's seen it, which makes us breathe a sigh of relief. (Chris)

Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz: Thank you very much for some excellent questions. (Chris)

Thank you for your interest. (Paul)

washingtonpost.com:

That wraps up today's show. Thanks to everyone who joined the discussion.

Stay tuned to Live Online:

Marc Fisher: Potomac Confidential at Noon EDT
Buying and Selling Real Estate at Noon EDT
Post Book Club: Dirda on "The Oxford Book of Aphorisms" at Noon EDT
PKim O'Donnel: Vegetarian Cooking at Noon EDT
Business and Finance Careers at Noon EDT
Inside the FBI: Threat Advisory System at 1 p.m. EDT
Entertainment Guide: Got Plans? at 1 p.m. EDT
Media Bias: Author William McGowan at 2 p.m. EDT
The Apartment Adviser at 2 p.m. EDT
Dirda on Books at 2 p.m. EDT

Did you know that you can follow more than one Live Online discussion at the same time? Just open another browser window and toggle back and forth between discussions! And, if you miss one, catch up with the Live Online transcripts.

Keep up with the latest in news, sports, politics and entertainment with washingtonpost.com e-mail newsletters.

NEW! Personalize your Post with mywashingtonpost.com. Get customized news, traffic, weather and more.

| |



	<img SRC="washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/redesign/adv_discusssion.htm" width=125 height=110 border=0>