He looked like the ideal husband. He seemed like the perfect father. That's just what they needed. But that's not what they got.
When a son and mother move to Seattle in hopes for a better life, the mother meets a seemingly polite man. Things go south when the man turns out to be abusive, endangering their lives. As the mother struggles to maintain hope in an impossible situation, the son has plans to escape.
This Boy's Life (1993) is a drama film directed by Michael Caton-Jones, released on April 9, 1993 with a runtime of 1h 55m. It stars Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Blechman. Viewers rate it 7.1 out of 10 across 1,115 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for This Boy's Life before you stream it.
Robert De Niro
as Dwight
Ellen Barkin
as Caroline
Leonardo DiCaprio
as Toby
Jonah Blechman
as Arthur Gayle
Eliza Dushku
as Pearl
Chris Cooper
as Roy
Carla Gugino
as Norma
Zachary Ansley
as Skipper
Tracey Ellis
as Kathy
Kathy Kinney
as Marian
Robert Zameroski
as Arch Cook
Tobey Maguire
as Chuck Bolger
Directed by Michael Caton-Jones, written by Tobias Wolff and Robert Getchell, produced by Art Linson.
Average viewer score of 7.1/10 from 1,115 ratings.
<em>'This Boy’s Life'</em> manages to produce an impressive feat: making me hate Robert De Niro! His character here, that is. I've only seen the guy in likeable roles, <em>'Meet the Parents'</em> is as close as a portrayal has come to being unlikeable. Dwight, in this, is despicable! All the aforementioned is simply a plus point for the film, though. It's obviously not overly difficult to make a person garner…
Reviewed on August 19, 2025
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This Boy's Life (1993) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of This Boy's Life (1993) includes Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Blechman and Eliza Dushku. The film was directed by Michael Caton-Jones. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
This Boy's Life was released on April 9, 1993 and runs for 1h 55m.
This Boy's Life (1993) holds an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 from 1,115 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official This Boy's Life trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
