This Boy's Life (1993)

The story about the relationship between a rebellious 1950s teenager and his abusive stepfather, based on the memoirs of writer and literature Professor Tobias Wolff.

Director:

Michael Caton-Jones

Writers:

Tobias Wolff (book), Robert Getchell (screenplay)

Stars:

Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert De Niro	...	Dwight
Ellen Barkin	...	Caroline
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Toby
Jonah Blechman	...	Arthur Gayle
Eliza Dushku	...	Pearl
Chris Cooper	...	Roy
Carla Gugino	...	Norma
Zachary Ansley	...	Skipper (as Zack Ansley)
Tracey Ellis	...	Kathy
Kathy Kinney	...	Marian
Robert Zameroski	...	Arch Cook (as Bobby Zameroski)
Tobey Maguire	...	Chuck Bolger
Tristan Tait	...	Jerry Huff
Travis MacDonald	...	Psycho
Richard Liss	...	A & P Manager

Storyline

In 1957, a son and mother flee the East and an abusive boyfriend to find a new life, and end up in Seattle, where the mother meets a polite garage mechanic. The boy continually gets into trouble by hanging out with the wrong crowd. The mom marries the mechanic, but they soon find out that he's an abusive and unreasoning alcoholic, and they struggle to maintain hope in an impossible situation as the boy grows up with plans to escape the small town by any means possible. Based on a true story by Tobias Wolff.

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Plot Keywords:

marital abuse | anal rape | bus | child driving a car | fistfight | 

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Taglines:

He looked like the ideal husband. He seemed like the perfect father. That's just what they needed. But that's not what they got.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and sexuality

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 April 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

En främling i familjen

Filming Locations:

Britannia Beach, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,425, 11 April 1993

Gross USA:

$4,104,962

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,104,962

Company Credits

Production Co:

Knickerbocker Films, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire co-starred in The Great Gatsby (2013).

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Goofs

Speedometer on car reads the same when Dwight Hansen drives erratically to scare Tobias and then later on when Tobias takes Dwight's car for a joy ride; also the speedometer says speeds of 70 mph plus yet the odometer never moves.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Tobias 'Toby' Wolff: It was 1957. We were driving from Florida to Utah. After my mother was beaten up by her boyfriend, we got in the Nash and high-tailed it for the uranium fields. We were gonna get rich and change our luck, which hadn't been so hot since our family broke up five years back.

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Connections

Features Adventures of Superman (1952)

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Soundtracks

I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent
Written by Morris Levy
Performed by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers

User Reviews

Leo's movie

The title got it right. This is Leonardo's movie through and through. You can't wait for him to get away from his ineffectual Mother and his Stepfather. Not many young actors could hold their own with DeNiro, but Leonardo succeeds beautifully. See this movie if you still have any doubts about his acting ability; for once, the 12-year-old girls got it right by anointing him the actor of this generation.