This Boy's Life Movie Review 1993

In 1957, Carolyn (Barkin) and her teenage son Toby (DiCaprio) are in search of a new life, far from her abusive ex-boyfriend. In the town of Concrete, just outside Seattle, she meets ex-military man Dwight (De Niro), a slick but none too suave mechanic who might be the answer to her dreams, but then again, he might not. Nicely crafted performances from all, but keep your eye on DiCaprio (great in his first major role) as the confused and abused teen divided between dreams of prep school and the allure of the going-nowhere crowd. Based on the memoirs of Tobias Wolff; director Caton-Jones sensitively illustrates the skewed understanding of masculinity in the 1950s. Vintage soundtrack takes you back.

Distribution

Baker & Taylor Inc., 2709 Water Ridge Pkwy., Ste. 500, Charlotte, NC 28217, Phone: (704)357-3500, Toll-free: 800-775-1800, Email: btinfo@btol.com, URL: http://www.btol.com

Available on VHS
Running time 115 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Family Ties, Bad Dads, Adapted from Memoirs or Diaries, Tearjerkers, Period Piece: 1950s, Child Abuse, Stepparents, Coming of Age, This Is Your Life, Teen Angst, Domestic Abuse

Screenplay

Robert Getchell

Cast

Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Blechman, Eliza Dushku, Chris Cooper, Carla Gugino, Zachary Ansley, Tracey Ellis, Kathy Kinney, Gerrit Graham

Cinematography

David Watkin

Director

Michael Caton-Jones

Music

Carter Burwell