» This Boy's Life

» Synopsis

The story about the relationship between a rebellious 50s teenager and his abusive father, based on the memoirs of writer and literature professor Tobias Wolff.

» Information

Director: Michael Caton-Jones Writers: Tobias Wolff (book), Robert Getchell (screenplay) Cast: Robert De Niro ... Dwight Leonardo DiCaprio ... Toby Chris Cooper ... Roy Carla Gugino ... Norma Tobey Maguire ... Chuck Bolger Michael Bacall ... Terry Taylor Ellen Barkin ... Caroline Jonah Blechman ... Arthur Gayle Eliza Dushku ... Pearl Zack Ansley ... Skipper Tracey Ellis ... Kathy Kathy Kinney ... Marian Bobby Zameroski ... Arch Cook Tristan Tait ... Jerry Huff Travis MacDonald ... Psycho Released on: April 9th, 1993

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» Trivia

The prep schools mentioned in the film all do exist. The Hill School is located in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Choate Rosemary Hall is located in Wallingford, Connecticut, and Deerfield Academy is located in Deerfield, Massachusetts.

Toby's brother, called "Gregory" in the movie, is actually named Geoffrey.

Despite the movie's title, the real magazine "Boy's Life" is referred to and shown throughout as "Boy's Magazine".

Debra Winger dropped out of playing the mother.

Dwight's family actually lived in Concrete, in the far north of Washington state. In the film, the nearest school is in the town of Chinook. In reality, the nearest school to Concrete in the 1950s was in the town of Sedro-Wooley. Chinook is in the far south of the state.

Tobey Maguire first auditioned for the part of Toby but director Michael Caton-Jones thought he wasn't right for the role. Leonardo DiCaprio, who is close friends with Tobey Maguire, still wanted him to be apart of the film so he got him the role of Toby's friend Chuck Bolger.

Tobey Maguire's movie debut.

Leonardo DiCaprio grew a few inches while shooting the film and he had to slouch in several scenes to look smaller next to Robert De Niro.