zetes Moving adaptation of Tobias Wolff's memoir. Leonardo DiCaprio, in the same year he became a break-out star for What's Eating Gilbert Grape, stars as Wolff, a teenager who moves all around the country with his mother (Ellen Barkin). They finally settle down in Concrete, Washington when Barkin falls for a mechanic (Robert De Niro). After the two marry, De Niro quickly reveals his true colors: he's a petulant, petty jerk. In particular, he treats DiCaprio like total crap. He has three kids of his own (including a young Carla Gugino and Eliza Dushku), and he treats them well enough, but he feels jealous of DiCaprio. He's severely emotionally abusive toward him and even physically so when pushed. DiCaprio, who isn't exactly a good kid, gets his life straighter, seemingly just to spite his stepfather. DiCaprio was quite good in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, but, for my money, his talent shines through here much more in a less showy role. I think most people have known a guy just like De Niro's character, and he's very good here. Barkin is also quite good. Jonah Blechman is also very good as DiCaprio's gay buddy. Tobey Maguire appears in his first credited role.

bandw Tobias (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his mother Caroline (Ellen Barkin) are at loose ends after Caroline's divorce. Caroline has the get rich scheme of heading for uranium mining out west. After this and other other ideas fail, Caroline and Tobias wind up in Concrete, Washington (yes, it actually exists) where they are getting desperate. In steps Dwight, a local mechanic. Dwight seems sincere in his courting of Caroline and, since he offers stability and security, Caroline is willing to buy what he is offering by marrying him. After the marriage Dwight's dark side surfaces in the major conflict that develops between him and Tobias. Tobias is no angel, but to me his behavior was no more out of line than that of your typical rebellious youth, whereas Dwight's tyrannical behavior struck me as bordering on the sadistic. The scenes of physical abuse I found hard to watch.Why Dwight's reaction to Tobias is so extreme is open to speculation. In part I think it comes from Dwight's perception of what it means to be a man--you are the ultimate authority, one who brooks no opposition. Expanding on that theme, Dwight senses that Tobias is not living up to his stereotypical image, for example Tobias likes to read books of all things. In some ways I got the feeling that Dwight's behavior was not all malicious; some small part of him felt for Tobias and he was trying to impose his vision on him as how to deal with the world. However, there is one pivotal scene that said a lot about Dwight to me. While Dwight and Tobias were watching television a news report came on about Lana Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane murdering Turner's boyfriend Johnny Stompanato, on the grounds that he was brutalizing her mother. Crane was acquitted on the grounds of justifiable homicide. When that last piece of information was mentioned, Dwight looked over at Tobias (who was paying intense attention to the program) with a look that said, "Hmmmm, could this apply to me?" This indicated to me that Dwight knew he had gone over the line in his dealings with Tobias and maybe would pay the ultimate price.The movie takes place in the late 1950s and period details are inserted in order to make that point: cars, hair styles, clothes, TV, movies, music.De Niro is good here--I think you have to be a good actor to play such a thoroughly unlikeable bully as Dwight with such convincing realism. It is no small treat to see De Niro dressed in a scout uniform. Barkin is fine, but Caroline moves to deep background once the major struggle between Dwight and Tobias takes center stage. DiCaprio turns in a particularly good performance, being able to hold his own against two experienced actors.This is billed as a true story, being an accounting of author Tobias Wollf's experiences. I think this should more appropriately be labeled as based on truth, since there are some things that don't ring quite true. For example, the scene that has Tobias running a table saw in shop class at school is wrong. Not even the most inexperienced novice in a wood class would be passing the wood through the saw in the dangerous way that Tobias was. I was cringing just to watch it. And the injury we see he sustains could in no way be caused by the accident as pictured, at the least it would have been more serious. And there was no purpose to what he was doing with the saw to start with. After seeing this I wondered just how well the rest of the movie had been researched. To say that something is a true story is risky--not even most documentaries are without bias. What an author says in an autobiographical text has to be taken with some reservations as to the truthI am left wanting to read the book, since I am sure the relationships are more complicated than what can be presented here in two hours. We don't get to know Caroline very well, and how Dwight's kids from a previous marriage fit into the family is hardly treated. In particular I wanted to know more about Dwight's relationship with the other kids, especially with his son. More details on Tobias' relationship with the effeminate Arthur would be interesting--how did he square that relationship with his other tough friends? Was Arthur as stereotypically gay as shown?Overall I found this to be well acted and absorbing. It reminds me of the father/son battle waged in the 1979 movie, "The Great Santini."

ashleylynncaissie This Boys Life A Review by Ashley "I SEE YOUR SPOTS LEOPARD!" If I were to explain to you what this movie is actually about it would really put you off. It could make you not even want to see the movie. That being said, this movie is a total gem! It was a boring, hot, sunny afternoon and there was absolutely nothing to watch on television. I was literally flipping through channels when somewhere along the line I decided that a slow paced, uncomfortable, movie about child abuse on Showcase would do. I soon realized that the child being abused was Leonardo DiCaprio and the person doing the abusing was none other than Robert De Niro. This movie is pretty much non- stop action, and by action I mean child abuse. If you hate Robert De Niro this may not be a good movie for you to watch because it will make you hate him even more. This Boy's Life is an incredibly thorough movie; all the main groups of abuse are represented: emotional, physical, psychological and even financial abuses are present throughout. One of the best scenes is when Robert De Niro crams an old mustard jar into Leonardo DiCaprio's eye to teach him a lesson about wasting condiments. This movie has it all, sad drunk driving, awkward gay teens and a bulldog!The sad fact is this movie is actually based on a true story. But, I prefer to forget that and just enjoy the ride.

tequila101 I never knew about this film, but now seeing it twice this month, I truly love the story, the characters and I feel that I can feel Tobias's pain. I'm glad I know this film now.The story is about a troubled boy named Tobias along with his mother growing up in the old country world. The year(s) are 1957-1959. When she gets with an abusive mechanic and then marries him, Tobias lives a tough life everyday getting abused by his cruel father. He must get out there but how? Leonardo DiCaprio & Robert De Niro along with all the other cast do an excellent, and very exceptional job at their roles. The music fits perfectly with the sad tone and there are many great scenes, I even love how in the end Tobias tries to stand up to his abusive, step father to convince him to leave him alone.This a must watch many times. I have really fallen to like this film a lot, and it is one of my favorite films of all time. I usually say that about most films but this was a really exceptional film. Like Dark Crystal, it should have not gottan a 7, it should have gottan a 10/10