Figure 1.-- Here we see Toby on the trip west when his mother's car has broken down. The date is 1957. Toby at 13 wears a striped tee-shirt, tan cotton shorts, and sneakers. Later in Concrete, Washington, Toby's step-father Dwight Hansen insists on his joining the Boy Scouts but is too cheap to buy his stepson a properly fitting uniform. (Click on the image.

Based on a coming of age memoir by Tobias Wolff (This Boy's Life: A Memoir) realistically set in the 1950s. The book and film is a heatwrenching story about a never-do-well father (Robert De Niro), jealous of his smart teen-age stepson (Leonardo DiCaprio). He had seemed like the ideal husband to the boy's beleagered mother. Her difficulties earning a living were complicated by her son's behavior at school. Her new boy friend also seemed like he would be a concerned father. After the marriage he turns out to be very different. The boy attempts to better himself and the new stepfather attempts to discourage him with verbal abuse and regular beatings. There are some shots in Scout uniforms. There is a final knock down, drag out fight and the boy and his mother leave. The film had a few scenes with Leonardo Di Capprio and Robert De Niro in scout uniforms, though scouting was only a very minor subtheme in this film. HBC has prepared a list of other Scout films. He had done some television work, but this was the first important film and he receivedf received considerable notice. DiCaprio received the Most Promising Actor, Chicago Film critics for both Whats Eating Gilbert Grape and This Boy's Life in 1993. Another excellent film about American boys in the 1950s is Stand By Me.

Filmology

This film is based on a coming of age memoir by Tobias Wolff (This Boy's Life: A Memoir). The story is basically true. The film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones. "This Boy's Life" is very well acted and directed.

Setting

The film is realistically set in the 1950s. It is a gritty view of boyhood in the 1950s. Another excellent film about American boys in the 1950s is "Stand By Me".

Cast

It stars Robert de Niro, Ellen Barkin, and the still very young Leonardo diCaprio who plays the title part. DiCaprio had done some television work before this film, but this was his first important film. It was actually the beginning of his film career. He received received considerable notice. He was awarded the the Most Promising Actor, Chicago Film critics for both Whats Eating Gilbert Grape and This Boy's Life in 1993.

Plot

The book and film is a heatwrenching story about a never-do-well father (Robert De Niro), jealous of his smart teen-age stepson (Leonardo DiCaprio). The plot concerns a young mother, Caroline (played by Ellen Barkin), who flees the eastern U.S. with her 13-year-old son, Toby. They settle in Seattle where Caroline meets a new boyfriend, Dwight Hansen, who seems like the perfect husband and step-father for her son. Hansen is a mechanic with a rather pretentious and phony manner, but Caroline falls for him, and the two get married. Hansen lives in a small town in the mountains called Concrete some distance from Seattle, and the boy Toby moves in with Hansen while his mother remains temporarily in Seattle. The boy falls in with some bad company and seems to be headed on the wrong path to maturity, and his step-father tries to discipline him and make a man of him. Hansen, however, turns out to be an abusive and alcoholic father who badly mistreats Toby. The two fight it out in the film. He had seemed like the ideal husband to the boy's beleagered mother. Her difficulties earning a living were complicated by her son's behavior at school. Her new boy friend also seemed like he would be a concerned father. After the marriage he turns out to be very different. The boy attempts to better himself and the new stepfather attempts to discourage him with verbal abuse and regular beatings. There is a final knock down, drag out fight after which the boy and his mother break free of the abusive father.

Figure 2.-- We also see Toby dressed up in a blue suit at a local prep school where he is taking a SAT exam in the hope of being admitted to an Ivy League college.

Costuming

The film is laid in the late 1950s, and the costumes and background details very accurately reflect the period. Toby mostly wears contemprary teen clothes. Here we see Toby on the trip west when his mother's car has broken down (figure 1). The date is 1957. Toby at 13 wears a striped tee-shirt, tan cotton shorts, and sneakers. There are some shots in Scout uniforms. The film had a few scenes with Leonardo Di Capprio and Robert De Niro in scout uniforms, though scouting was only a very minor subtheme in this film. The uniform appears to be an actual Scout uniform rather than the made up-organization often used. In Concrete, Washington, Toby's step-father insists on his joining the Boy Scouts but is too cheap to buy his stepson a properly fitting uniform. At first we see the boy forced to wear a uniform that is too big for him, although he eventually gets a uniform with long pants that fit to replace the uniform with shorts that is too large for him. Strangely these long shorts look to be in style with modern viewers, but a boy in the 1950s swould have never worn such redicvulously long shorts. In one shot he is admiring himself in the mirror (click on figure 1). We also see Toby dressed up in a blue suit at a local prep school where he is taking a SAT exam in the hope of being admitted to an Ivy League college (figure 2).

Scouting Films

HBC has prepared a list of other Scout films that readers may want to review.

Created: 10:45 PM 5/27/2005
Last updated: 10:45 PM 5/27/2005