This Boy's Life is adapted from Tobias Wolff's memoir of the same title, recounting his experiences with an abusive stepfather in the 1950s. The screen rights were acquired by Peter Guber, then head of Guber-Peters Productions at Warner Bros. Pictures, shortly after the memoir's 1989 publication. Following Guber's departure to lead Sony Pictures Entertainment, Art Linson assumed the role of producer. Although Guber is credited as an executive producer, alongside his producing partner Jon Peters, Warner Bros. initially hesitated to produce the film, deeming it commercially unviable due to its child abuse story. Despite this, director Michael Caton-Jones insisted on the project, and the studio relented due to Caton-Jones’s successful directorial track record.[4]
Screenwriter Robert Getchell, after Guber obtained the rights, expressed interest in writing the script. Getchell, known for adapting Tobias Wolff's older brother's memoir, Geoffrey Wolff's The Duke of Deception, was captivated by the brothers' stories and eager to adapt the younger brother’s memoir. The film adaptation altered Geoffrey Wolff's name to "Gregory." Tobias Wolff also requested changes, such as renaming his mother from Rosemary to "Caroline" to reflect scenes created by Getchell that were not in the original book, depicting marital discord between his mother and stepfather. This alteration transformed the true story into a work of fiction, a fact initially contested by Wolff. However, upon viewing the finished film, Wolff approved, recognizing that his mother might be upset about the name change.[4]
This Boy's Life marked the cinematic debut of actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who portrayed "Toby" at seventeen years old during filming. Christian Bale was up for the role of Toby, but lost to DiCaprio.[5] Initially, Debra Winger was set to star as "Caroline" but withdrew due to scheduling conflicts, leading to Ellen Barkin taking over the role. Actor Robert De Niro, playing the abusive stepfather "Dwight," extensively consulted with Tobias Wolff in preparation for the role. However, De Niro chose not to contact the real-life Dwight, who passed away just before filming commenced.[4]
Principal photography began on February 23, 1992, in Vancouver, Canada. Dwight's dilapidated house, constructed in the woods outside Vancouver, served as the primary set. Filming also took place for ten days in Concrete, Washington, where crews restored the town's main street to its 1950s appearance.[4] Many of the town's citizens were used as extras, and all external scenes in Concrete (and some internal scenes, as well) were shot in and around the town, including the former elementary school buildings and the still-active Concrete High School building. Additional scenes were shot in the La Sal Mountains, and Moab and Salt Lake City, Utah.[4][6]
