RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / This Boy's Life
This Boy's Life

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

This Boy's Life (1993)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
95 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:21

Fresh:20

Rotten:1

Average Rating:7/10

Runtime: 1 hr 55 mins

Genre: Dramas

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 America.... 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 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. [More]

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Blechman

Starring: Robert De Niro, Ellen Barkin, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Blechman, Eliza Dushku

Director: Michael Caton-Jones

Director: Michael Caton-Jones

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Apr 22, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for This Boy's Life

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/03/08
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

No review available.

comment Comment
03/24/07
Brian Tallerico
Brian Tallerico
UGO

A powerful if familiar family melodrama with a bravura performance from newcomer Leonardo DiCaprio, who's bound to become a major actor in the future.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
12/31/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Well acted, but bleak and slow-moving.

comment Comment
06/21/05
James Plath
James Plath
DVDTown.com

De Niro does great work here. Highly underrated flick.

comment Comment
04/03/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
eFilmCritic.com

Outstanding performances from DeNiro and Di Caprio in a tough, lyrical drama

comment Comment
03/24/05
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

No review available.

comment Comment
11/02/04
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

No review available.

comment Comment
03/22/04
Frank Swietek
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

a compelling character study that is well worth watching just for Dicaprio's performance

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
10/24/03
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
10/17/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

This Boy's Life shows how a resilient teenager survives childhood trauma and adversity through independence, anger and creativity..

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
05/21/03
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

DiCaprio goes toe-to-toe with De Niro, though his spectacular efforts here continue to be overshadowed by his Oscar-baiting in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
05/11/03
Bill Chambers
Bill Chambers
Film Freak Central

Leonardo DiCaprio, in his first major role, stole this movie right out from under Robert DeNiro's feet. A great coming-of-age tale based on a very good book.

comment Comment
04/28/03
Blake Davis
Blake Davis
KFOR Channel 4 News

A powerful, moving picture....Di Caprio and De Niro are a solid combination

comment Comment
04/27/03
Clint Morris
Clint Morris
Moviehole

No review available.

comment Comment
04/03/03
Rebecca Murray
Rebecca Murray
About.com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/10/03
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

No review available.

comment Comment
08/29/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Involving, but not finally effective

comment Comment
08/21/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for This Boy's Life

October 27, 2005: Levinson & De Niro to Pair Up for Tinseltown Satire
Variety brings news of an intriguing project that's being described as "Wag the Dog" of the moviemaking world." Robert De Niro will play the lead character in... More...

April 19, 2005: Get Ready for Another Dose of "Basic Instinct"
You've heard it mentioned for years, but production is (finally) about to get underway on "Basic Instinct 2: Risk Addiction." A follow-up to Paul Verhoeven's sexual... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
66% 66% Public Enemies
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
75% 75% Julie & Julia
32% 32% Terminator Salvation

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
78% 78% The Hangover
49% 49% Taking Woodstock
26% 26% The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
47% 47% The Girl From Monaco

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

New clips from the detective reboot!

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Check out the brand new trailer now!

Awards Tour

Awards Tour

Keep up with latest nominations and awards!

Friday Harvest

Friday Harvest

This week's best pics, vids, and posters!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
102
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
32
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
  • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
61
  • Mel Gibson Plans a Mexican Vacation Source: Variety
8
  • New Iron Man 2 Clue Posted Source: Screen Rant
26
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Critics Consensus: Avatar Is Certified Fresh
172
  • Awards Tour 2009: Golden Globe Noms Here!
145
  • Total Recall: James Cameron Movies
85
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
70
  • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
44
  • Awards Tour 2009: SAG Nominations Are In!
39
  • Awards Tour 2009: Avatar Best Picture at NYFCO!
38
  • Awards Tour 2009: The Hurt Locker Dominates Boston Society of Film Critics
18
  • Weekly Ketchup: Bryan Singer Teaches X-Men: First Class
14
  • Awards Tour 2009: LAFCA: The Hurt Locker Tops List
12
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • This Boy's Life at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
MSN's Year in Review
MSN's Year in Review External Link

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

Moviefone's Year End Movie Poll
Moviefone's Year End Movie Poll External Link

What were your favorites? Least favorites? The funniest and scariest? Moviefone wants to know!

Tarantino's Characters
Tarantino's Characters External Link

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.