This Boy's Life
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Starring: Robert De Niro
Rated: R (Restricted)
Type: DVD
Directed By: Michael Caton-Jones
Studio: Warner Home Video
Release Date: 2003-05-13
Running Time: 115 minutes
Guys had ducktails. Cars had fins. War was over and America was on a roll. But 1950s life wasn't all fun and games -- especially for Toby Wolff and his divorced mom Caroline, free spirits whose cross-country travels end in the Pacific Northwest, where life will be better. They hope. Year: 1993 Director: Michael Caton Jones Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio

total reviews 73

This Boy's life
This is a true story about Tobias Wolffe. He is a boy who's mother is raising him alone, and he spends most of his days with his buddies, and getting into trouble while she's at work. His mother doesn't know what else to do with him, so she marries a man, whom she feels would be a good example to him. This is when she decides to send poor Tobias to stay with her new boyfriend to see if he can straighten him out (prior to their marriage). He is very strict, and down right mean to Tobias, but is always nice his mother. Finally, when Tobias' mother gets married to this man, he becomes more violent, and controlling to them both. Tobias still skips school to hang out with his buddies, and gets into trouble. Now Tobias decides after a few years of being tortured by his step-father, with beatings, and mind controlling, that he wants to go to a boarding school college, and his step-father tries to dicourage him, because he's jealous that he might succeed in life, and not be controlled by him anymore. They get into a mondo arguement, and it all comes to a head in the end. I won't tell you the rest. You have to see it yourself. Just a fair warning, this movie is good, but has a lot of cursing, and a violent sex scene between Tobias' mother and step-father on their wedding night, not appropriate for children under 14.

movies at their best
This is a Great Movie. I had seen it and loved it on TV and just had to have it for my DVD collection.

Greatest Deniro movie EVER
This movie is by far the most entertaining movie I have ever seen. The acting is brilliant. Deniro is not known for comedy, but this is his greatest role, it is hilarious. I still tell my kid if he ever does anything bad "kill or cure" every time my wife makes me dinner I complain "This is all I get for dinner." If I ever get mad at my wife I call her a "Liar and a Whore." I tell my coworkers "I know a thing or two about a thing or two." If you want great lines, awesome acting, and one of the most charming entertaining movies ever watch this movie.

boys don't cry
This is one of those movies that serves no real purpose but tries to hide behind a shell of seriousness. With the exception of Mr. Robert De Niro (who was incredibly substandard, bad, zombie-like and just generally abysmal,) most of the performances were OK. But, I found the story very hokey and lacking something. The movie reminded me of "Sleeping With the Enemy" or even "Places in the Heart" a little. But each of those movies are about a million times better. I did like the part when the boy with the scarf beat the hell out of Leonardo DiCaprio. However I'm really not interested in watching any form of degrad*tion or violence depicted in a movie. Besides being personally offensive, it's just such an unimaginative way to make a film. Because I'm not really learning about any of these people. Instead the director and producers chose the easy way out by sensationalizing the story. That's so pathetic. I suppose if there was an important message or if it was a historical reference it may be different, but like I first said this movie really served no purpose and is just rather bland and boring. But this is just my own opinion so don't get your panities all bunched up if it doesn't jive with your own. Lately people on this forum get so incredibly hostile when anyone dares to give their real and honest comments. What's up with that? The way I feel about something should have absolutely no impact on your life. But sometimes I seriously think that I would be more welcome at a clan meeting.

LEO THE LIONHEARTED
Leo DiCaprio plays Tobias Wolff in this stark drama of child abuse that somehow works out for the better.Based on a true story, this film produces some of the finest acting one would ever want to see.Tobias is everything that his stepfather DeNiro never was: good looking, intelligent, talented, one who enjoys reading. DeNiro positively hates him and steals the show with a display reminiscent of Lee J.Cobb in "On The Waterfront" 40 years before. Bitter, violent, sadistic, jealous, one would be hard pressed to match this acting performance, however loathsome to the viewer. Ellen Barkin, Tobias' mother, really does love her son, but her forte has always been in the bedroom, certainly not in gray matter. Only in the end does she step forward, breaking up a deadly fight and fleeing with her son-she heads for Washingtonn D.C., Tobias to Prep School.Often overlooked, DiCaprio's late pubescence allowed him the liberty of a man playing child or adolescent roles; he was in the range of 18 years old playing this magnificent role, an age similar in "Gilbert Grape".In any event, this is a film worth multiple viewings, even though the main subject matter is totally reprehensible.
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