This Boy's Life

This Boy's Life is a 1993 American biographical coming-of-age drama film based on the memoir of the same name by author Tobias Wolff. It was directed by Michael Caton-Jones and stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Tobias "Toby" Wolff, Robert De Niro as Toby's stepfather Dwight Hansen, and Ellen Barkin as Toby's mother, Caroline.

Plot
In 1957, Toby (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his mom, Caroline (Ellen Barkin), move to the state of Washington. There they meet mild-mannered Dwight (Robert De Niro), who falls in love with Caroline. They're married, and, after some initial happiness in the household, it becomes apparent that Dwight believes violence is the best way to discipline his troubled stepson. Unfortunately, Caroline is unwilling to give up on her marriage. As Dwight's abuse intensifies, Toby plans an escape.

Two years later, in 1959, things started to go worse when Dwight is getting even more abusive, When Dwight learns that Toby has received a scholarship, he attacks Toby with a mustard jar, and they end up in a fight only ended by Caroline and a baseball bat. Caroline finally realizes that she doesn't have to put up with Dwight, and she and Toby leave town as Dwight complains about his misfortune. At a bus stop, Toby says goodbye to his mother as she leaves on a Greyhound, and he waits for his own bus to depart a few hours later as the credit rolls.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) The film stays very faithful to the life of Tobias "Toby" Wolff during the marriage of Dwight Hansen, and Caroline Wolff Hansen in the state of Washington.
 * 2) Robert De Niro (who was in Goodfellas) did an amazing job performing as Dwight Hansen, while Leonardo DiCaprio gave a good performance as Tobias "Toby" Wolff.
 * 3) In addition, this gives a good start to Leonardo DiCaprio in his career.
 * 4) The setting of Seattle, Concrete, and the state of Washington during the late 1950s is well done, making it feel very realistic for the late 1950s to early 60s era.
 * 5) Wonderful cinematography.
 * 6) The scene near the end of the film where Toby and his stepdad Dwight Hansen having a violent fight over the mustard can empty is very intense.
 * 7) Amazing soundtrack that was composed by Carter Burwell.
 * 8) The ending is very emotional, Toby and his mom Caroline both leave Dwight and the town of Concrete after a physically violent fight with Toby and Dwight Hansen.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Toby and Dwight can be unlikable jerks at some points.
 * 2) In the film, the children of Concrete go to high school in Chinook, as there is no high school in Concrete. In fact, Chinook is 268 miles away from Concrete, on the opposite end of the state.

Reception
The film received mostly positive reviews; the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 76% 'Fresh' rating from 37 critics, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus states: "A harrowing, moving drama about a young boy, his single mother, and his abusive stepfather, This Boy's Life benefits from its terrific cast and features a breakout performance from a young Leonardo DiCaprio." On Metacritic, where they give a 'normalized' score, the film has a 60/100.

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