June 30, 1991
THIS BOY'S LIFE
Screenplay by Robert Getchell
Synopsis by Brian Aldrich
ROSEMARY WOLFF is a single mother in her thirties traveling aimlessly along life's tragedies with her son, TOBY, 13, a precocious youth who has a deep relationship with his mother forged out of struggle and disappointment. It's 1957. They drive a beat up Nash Rambler and are flat broke. Rosemary has a new prospect for success: she plans to mine uranium in Salt Lake City, a town known for its lack of uranium. When they reach their destination, Rosemary realizes the folly of her dream. The car breaks down and Rosemary decides to stay and find a job. Toby goes to school, but keeps getting in trouble. Rosemary's ex-boyfriend, ROY, a brute, shows up. He's tracked them down. Rosemary and Toby ditch him and head for Seattle.
In Seattle, Toby goes Elvis. He dresses like a hood and hangs around other losers. Rosemary rents a house and takes in two roommates: KATHY and MARIAN. Rosemary meets a fellow: DWIGHT, a slightly goofy bird who is out of touch with reality. He lives in a small suburb named CHINOOK with his three children: NORMA, 18, SKIPPER, 17, and PEARL, 12. Dwight's interested in marrying Rosemary and tries to get along with Toby. Although Dwight gives Toby a rifle and promises he can be in the local "turkey-shoot", the rules won't allow a boy Toby's age to be in the contest. Toby is angry. Rosemary enters the contest and beats everyone, including Dwight who fumes with contained anger. Toby continues to get in trouble at school. Finally, Rosemary can't take it any longer. She consents to let Toby go live with Dwight and his family until she is ready to marry him.
Toby soon finds another dimension to Dwight: he is an angry, alcoholic child abuser who mistreats, threatens, and brutalizes Toby into behaving "normally" and working odd jobs like a dog. Dwight promises to kill or cure Toby. By the time Rosemary comes to move in and marry Dwight, Toby is so brainwashed that he is unable to tell his mother what a terror Dwight has become. Life in this household, even with his mother present, is still hell for Toby. Rosemary has lost all vigor for life and goes through the motions. She is reluctant to stand between Dwight and Toby. As a result, Toby continues to be victimized by Dwight.
Toby meets an effeminate boy, ALFRED, who teaches Toby that, like himself, he is different than the average boy and needs desperately to leave Chinook or die. Toby fakes his records, scores well on entrance exams, and tries to get into a prep school. Despite Dwight's opposition, Rosemary works as a volunteer for the Kennedy campaign. Finally, Toby is accepted at a school and given a partial-scholarship. He asks Dwight, drunk and jealous of Toby's success, for his paper route money that Dwight has been "saving" for him. Dwight informs him that he spent the money himself. Toby and Dwight finally fight. Before Dwight can kill Toby, Rosemary takes a shovel to Dwight's head. Rosemary tells Dwight off. She and Toby flee the house. Free and optimistic, they are ready to grasp for life's infinite possibilities once again. Rosemary decides to take a job in Washington D.C. and Toby goes off to prep school.
Summary Criticism: Fresh and invigorating, this brilliant screenplay portrays the relationship between mother and son with truth and originality such as we've never seen before.
This Boy's Life (1993) - imdb
This Boy's Life (1993) - wiki
No comments:
Post a Comment