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.

Barkin and teenage son DiCaprio move to Concrete, Washington where she marries car mechanic De Niro. But he turns out to be a hard-drinking brute… Hollywood has churned out plenty of these reality-based films that are set a few decades ago and usually portray a teenage boy growing up in a troubled family and learning about life the hard way. The soundtrack is full of contemporary hits. This drama features a kid who needs a father and a bully who can’t stand the idea of his stepson actually accomplishing something, but there’s nothing terribly original about it. The cast is fine however, particularly Mr. DiCaprio.

1993-U.S. 115 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Michael Caton-Jones. Screenplay: Robert Getchell. Novel: Tobias Wolff. Cast: Robert De Niro (Dwight Hansen), Ellen Barkin (Caroline Wolff), Leonardo DiCaprio (Toby ”Jack” Wolff), Jonah Blechman, Eliza Dushku, Chris Cooper… Tobey Maguire.

Trivia: Debra Winger was allegedly considered for the part of Caroline; Mr. Maguire originally auditioned for the part of Toby.

Published by Stefan Hedmark 2006-09-08 07:26

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