Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33713 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-07-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English, German
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 110 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Robert De Niro gets top billing, but young Leonardo DiCaprio is the revelation of This Boy's Life, an astute, often painful drama of growing up in the 1950s Pacific Northwest, based on the autobiographical novel by Tobias Wolff. DiCaprio plays Tobias, a good kid with a bad boy streak but an unwavering love for his divorced mother (Ellen Barkin). "I want to be a better boy", he promises from under a greasy pompadour, and tries to prove it when she marries single father Dwight (DeNiro), a bully who parents through intimidation and humiliation. A pre-Titanic DiCaprio is magnetic in his first starring role, full of anger, hope and confusion as he drifts back to juvenile delinquency and his intensity gives the true story of survival and triumph its charge. DeNiro is frightening and pathetic as Dwight, and Dwight's youngest daughter is played by future star and vampire slayer Eliza Dushku. --Sean Axmaker

Special Features

• Theatrical trailer
  
• Sound: 2.0 Dolby Surround
  
• Picture: 2.35:1 anamorphic
  
• Languages: English, French, German
  
• Subtitles: English, French, German, Arabic
  
• Hearing impaired: English, German

Synopsis
A film based on Tobias Wolff's much-praised autobiography about his troubled youth.
Caroline Wolff, divorced and with no job prospects, takes her son Toby on an aimless journey across 1950s America. They stop for a while in several towns, where Caroline gets involved with different men, but they always end up back on the road, running--until Caroline meets Dwight Hansen, a military man whom she believes will bring stability to their lives and help raise Toby.
But Dwight proves to be a sadistic dictator, determined to impose a rigid and cruel discipline on Toby. When the boy finally cannot take it anymore, he looks for any escape... even if it means he'll have to fight Dwight to get out. Features outstanding performances from both Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.

Customer Reviews

Great Film
De niro is intense as always, hilarious and brilliant at the start as the pathetic dwight courting ellen barkins character, then turning cruel and tough with an ease only someone of de niros talent could achieve.
Di Caprio is nothing less then brilliant as tobias, another great performance(whats eating gilbert grape?) from him.
Well worth a watch to see the type of mental strenght it can take some people to break free.

Excelent emotional drama
After seeing De Niro in performances such as Raging Bull, Goodfellas and The Godfather part II I knew he was a great actor and although this may not be his best performance it is definitely one of his best.

De Niro stars alongside a young Di Caprio (Gangs of New York, Titanic) and both renowned actors pull off sensational performances in this gripping family issue driven drama.

De Niro plays Dwight, a confidant but harsh man who sees Concrete as the best place to straighten out the naughty arrogant teenager, superbly portrayed by Di Caprio.

Barkin (Drop dead gorgeous, mercy) is astonishing as the depressed and sometimes cheerfully positive mother. Playing a character that has different personalities is remarkable and one scene where she confronts De Niro is remarkably brilliant.

I think this film worked so well because of the acting but mainly the story was a picture perfect of real life situations and what some families have to go through in their lives. This story is based on a real life of Tobias Wolff and because it is, it allows audience to accept the harsh and truthful ideologies put forth by director Caton-Jones (Rob Roy)
It is a very emotional story which reflects what some people are really like. We watch the arrogant teenager of Di Caprio, the harsh and brutal man De Niro and the troubled mother Barkin all perform greatly.

It is a very brutal film with many scenes of physical and physiological violence. There are many ideologies about bullying, discipline, work ethics, financial, living conditions and many other conventional real life situations.

Di Caprio's character is varied in some senses, acting as a typical teenager and getting up to trouble which allows his character to be believable and likable. His playful innocence and insecurity add up to a brilliant performance by the talented actor.

I was touched and shocked at many points by the plots twists and turns and can't believe that this is what some people go through in their lives, it is a remarkable story, not for the light hearted and I recommend it to anyone who has a taste for films which concentrate deeply on real life scenarios.

8/10

UNDERATED FILM!!
An excellent film about the frustrations of growing up, made worse by a destructive step father who is in all honesty a right bastard!! and one who enjoys one to many tinnys lol De Niro is excellent, but the real star of this film is decaprio who shines through out this film ive never been a fan of his work but the guy has earned my respect and he is truly a fantastic gifted actor and should of won an oscar for his role in this film i am not one to give away the full story when it comes to reviewing films as so many other reviewers do SHAME ON YOU GUYS!!! all i am going to say is if u have not seen this film then buy it now!! and if u have seen it and dont own it again buy it as it's a fantastic story of both courage and the will to survive...