This Boy’s Life movie 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.
This Boy’s Life is a 1993 film adaptation of the memoir of the same name by American author Tobias Wolff. It is directed by Michael Caton-Jones and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Tobias Wolff, Robert De Niro as stepfather Dwight Hansen, and Ellen Barkin as Toby’s mother, Caroline. The film also features Chris Cooper, Carla Gugino, Eliza Dushku and Tobey Maguire in his feature film debut.
Largely filmed in the state of Washington, the town of Concrete, Washington (where Tobias Wolff’s teen years were spent with his mother and stepfather, Dwight), was transformed to its 1950s appearance for a realistic feel. Many of the town’s citizens were used as extras, and all external scenes in Concrete (and some internal scenes, as well) were shot in and around the town, including the former elementary school buildings and the still-active Concrete High School building.
The film was released in limited release on April 9, 1993, and earned $74,425 that weekend; upon its wide release on April 23, the film opened at #10 at the box office and grossed $1,519,678. The film would end with a domestic gross of $4,104,962.
The soundtrack of This Boy’s Life used many songs from the 1950s and early 1960s. The main titles (filmed in Professor Valley, Utah) feature Frank Sinatra’s version of “Let’s Get Away from It All” from his 1958 album Come Fly with Me and Toby and his mother sing “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair” from the popular post-war musical South Pacific. However, most of the music reflects Toby’s fondness for rock and roll and doo wop, including songs by Eddie Cochran, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, and Link Wray. Carter Burwell composed the film’s pensive score, which featured New York guitarist Frederic Hand.
About the Story
Nomadic, flaky Caroline Wolff (Ellen Barkin) wants to settle down in one place, find a decent man, and provide a better home for her and her son, Tobias “Toby” Wolff (Leonardo DiCaprio). When she moves to Seattle, Washington, and meets the seemingly respectable Dwight Hansen (Robert De Niro), she thinks she has accomplished her goals. Toby, however, comes to feel differently; Dwight’s true personality is revealed after Toby spends a few months separated from his mother with Dwight and his children. The boy’s stepfather-to-be seems to want to mold Toby into a better person, but his method includes emotionally, verbally and physically abusing the boy.
The marriage proceeds, and soon Caroline recognizes Dwight’s need to dominate everyone around him. She sticks with it, though, convinced this is best for her son, and several years of dysfunction ensue. During this time, Toby befriends a classmate, the misfit and ambiguously gay Arthur Gayle (Jonah Blechman). Toby continues to chafe under the yoke of his repressive stepfather. Hoping to leave Concrete and live with his older brother Gregory, Toby decides to apply for East Coast prep-school scholarships. Realizing his grades are not good enough to be accepted, Toby devises a plan to submit falsified grade reports.
This Boy’s Life movie trailer.
This Boy’s Life (1993)
Directed by: Michael Caton-Jones
Starring: Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, Jonah Blechman, Eliza Dushku, Chris Cooper, Carla Gugino, Zachary Ansley, Kathy Kinney, Robert Zameroski
Screenplay by: Robert Getchell
Production Design by: Stephen J. Lineweaver
Cinematography by: David Watkin
Film Editing by: Jim Clark
Costume Design by: Richard Hornung
Set Decoration by: Jim Erickson
Art Direction by: Sandy Cochrane
Music by: Carter Burwell
MPAA Rating: R for strong language and sexuality.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: April 23, 1993
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