Damn fine film, showing the irrationality of an abusive father. Difficult to watch at times, this film makes one want to smack the protaganist but then realize that that's what he wants so one must 'resist the dark side' and fight with logic, and that won't work. The solution is long in coming, but beautiful in simplicity. DeNiro is a different guy than we've seen before. Not a tough, Italian mobster, but more of a WASP nebbish with a Pacific Northwest accent (eg: "Worshington State"). DiCaprio does well and is believable as a bratty kid who is being emotionally crushed. Barkin does fine as the mother who is just trying to make a life as best as she can for her son - hers is not a simple role as there is much layering and resistance within it. The rest of the cast is under-used, and the story's verisimilitude would suffer if they were not included, but the story would benefit from the cutting of Skipper (who only gets to cheese off his father a couple of times before he dissappears - Ansley deserves better), and about half of the various kids in the town. Jack's 'intelligent' friend needs to stay, but the story is about Dwight, Mom, and Jack. The other characters give us an idea of things to come from Dwight, but they are a little in the way once things get going. None the less, a very fine film. Do not watch it too close to Father's Day.
Review of This Boy's Life
