Nick Hornby's novel "About a Boy" and its adaptation to the screen both exhibit the growth of Will and Marcus through the use of characterization, voice and narrative structure. The focal point of this light hearted story is on shared human relationships, of the desperate needs of children for nurturing relationships in an increasingly, alienating, cynical world, and of the needs for shared relationships in a world dominated by the values of individualism, image and materialism. It centers on the problems of growing up, of children who lose their innocence in dysfunctional families, and of adults who are unable to...
lost between these two worlds and he cannot find himself, he is drowning in a sea of culture and cultural values.

Inevitably the translation of a novel to film will shift aspects of the novel's meaning and purpose. Perhaps some of the poignancy of Marcus's story has been lost in a film version that focuses on the character of Will and its charismatic actor, Hugh Grant. Yet, both novel and film successfully dramatise concerns of particular significance for contemporary audiences, doing so with humour, style and an ironic criticism of what our society holds as truly valuable.