Box office
The film was released in limited release on April 9, 1993, and earned $74,425 that weekend;[7] upon its wide release on April 23, the film opened at #10 at the box office and grossed $1,519,678.[8] The film would end with a domestic gross of $4,104,962.[1]
Critical reception
The film received mostly positive reviews; review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 76% 'Fresh' rating from 37 critics, with an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus states: "A harrowing, moving drama about a young boy, his single mother, and his abusive stepfather, This Boy's Life benefits from its terrific cast, and features a breakout performance from a young Leonardo DiCaprio."[9] On Metacritic, where they give a 'normalized' score, the film has a 60/100.[10]
Home media
This Boy's Life was released on VHS September 1, 1993; LaserDisc in November 1993;[11] and on DVD May 13, 2003.[12]
