This Boy's Life (1993) review

Troublemaker Toby (Leonardo DiCaprio) travels with his mother Caroline (Ellen Barkin) to Utah to "get rich" in the uranium business (which doesn't work out), then to Seattle where she meets (and eventually marries) mechanic Dwight (Robert De Niro) who has a family of his own (his daughters are played by Eliza Dushku and Carla Gugino) but is committed to correcting Toby's bad behavior.  It's based on college professor Tobias Wolff's memoir about growing up in the 1950's, and while it feels authentic and the cast helps hold it together its depiction of "masculinity" is rather crude: the two available choices are Dwight's repressed homosexuality (he also doesn't like to "see the face" when fornicating) and severe anger issues (aggravated by a drinking habit) or his closeted, scarf-wearing classmate Arthur Gayle (Jonah Blechman) who plays the piano (and gives DiCaprio a peck on the cheek).  Whenever it needs some "tension," it just relies on De Niro's formidable presence to start barking and swinging ... but Leo fights back and finally escapes.  Whew.