Based on Tobias Wolff's autobiography, THIS BOY'S LIFE is a movie directed in Hollywood by British director Michael Caton-Jones in 1993.
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Ellen Barkin and her son Leonardo DiCaprio have once again decided to leave home. They go west, first to Salt Lake City, then to Seattle. DiCaprio misses a lot his father and his older brother who abandoned him and Barkin a few years before and he's expressing his resentment by having trouble at school and seeing the local bad boys.
When Barkin meets De Niro, she's persuaded that their wanderings have come to an end at last and she moves to Concrete, Washington with her son and marries her suitor. Soon De Niro shows himself to be nothing else than a violent and dumb man who won't accept that Barkin or DiCaprio question his style of life. While Barkin decides to keep quiet, DiCaprio is rebelling more and more often against his stepfather's authority.
The review of this Movie prepared by Daniel Staebler
How inspired would you be if a town called Concrete (Washington State) were suddenly your new home? That's where single mom Caroline (Barkin) and her teenage boy Toby (DiCaprio) land, seeking a fresh start. And this time, she's determined to make her marriage work.
Based on a true story, Caroline meets Dwight (De Niro), who apparently offers stability, steady pay and a father figure for Toby. They move in to Dwight's house although he has a wedding night surprise for Caroline.
Dwight immediately begins to mentor Toby through Boy Scouts, a paper route and boxing lessons. Despite good intentions, Dwight begins to reveal himself as a loud, selfish and crude man who uses such slang as “road apples” and “shut your pie hole.” Dwight continues to goad and humiliate Toby until the teen learns that an odd friend he's made may be able to phony up his test scores just enough to be admitted to a distant school. But Caroline's and Toby's actual escape turns out to be quite a bit more violent.
The review of this Movie prepared by Angry Jim Magin
