This Boy's Life (film)
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| This Boy's Life | |
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| Directed by | Michael Caton-Jones |
| Produced by | Fitch Cady Art Linson |
| Written by | Tobias Wolff (novel), Robert Getchell (screenplay) |
| Starring | Robert De Niro Ellen Barkin Leonardo DiCaprio |
| Music by | Carter Burwell |
| Cinematography | David Watkin |
| Editing by | Jim Clark |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | April 9, 1993 |
| Running time | 115 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | Unknown |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
This Boy's Life was a film adaptation of the biographical novel of the same name by Tobias Wolff. The 1993 film is directed by Michael Caton-Jones and starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Tobias Wolff, Robert De Niro as stepfather Dwight Hansen, and Ellen Barkin as Toby's mother, Caroline Wolff-Hansen. The film also features Chris Cooper, Carla Gugino, and Eliza Dushku, as well as Tobey Maguire in a small role.
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 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 album Come Fly With Me and Toby and his mother sing "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" from the popular postwar musical South Pacific. However, most of the music in the film 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.
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[edit] Plot summary
Nomadic, flaky Caroline Wolff just wants to settle down in one place, find a decent guy, and provide a better home for her and her son, Toby. When she moves to Seattle and meets the seemingly respectable Dwight Hansen (in real life Dwight Thompson; at that time a mechanic for Seattle City Light), she thinks she has got it made. Toby, however, feels differently after Dwight's true personality is revealed after spending a few months with Dwight and his children away from Caroline. 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, too, recognizes Dwight's need to dominate everyone around him. She sticks with it, though, convinced it is the best thing for her son, and several years of dysfunction ensues. During this time, Toby befriends another misfit, the possibly homosexual young Arthur, while continuing to chafe under the yoke of his repressive stepfather.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Robert De Niro | Dwight Hansen |
| Ellen Barkin | Caroline Wolff Hansen |
| Leonardo DiCaprio | Tobias "Toby" Wolff |
| Jonah Blechman | Arthur Gayle |
| Eliza Dushku | Pearl |
| Chris Cooper | Roy |
| Carla Gugino | Norma |
| Zachary Ansley | Skipper |
| Tracey Ellis | Kathy |
| Kathy Kinney | Marian |
| Tobey Maguire | Chuck Bolger |
[edit] Trivia
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Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones. |
- Tobey Maguire auditioned for the role of Toby.
- Both Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio starred in a Sam Raimi movie; Maguire was Spiderman in the Spiderman movies while DiCaprio was Fee in The Quick and The Dead.
- Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro were reunited in Marvin's Room.
