This Boy’s Life (1993)

In the 1950s, nomadic Ellen Barkin and her son Leonardo DiCaprio make a stop in Seattle, moving to nearby Concrete, Washington after she meets and marries charmer Robert De Niro. Underneath De Niro’s charm is controlling personality that explodes into abuse when his authority is questioned. Despite the dire circumstances, the stakes never actually feel very high with De Niro’s mood swings almost comically bizarre, reminiscent of his actual comedy turn in Meet the Parents. Though not given enough screen time, Barkin lends a believability to her character and somehow regardless of his actual age, DiCaprio looks about 11 at the beginning of the film, physically aging to a mid-teenager by the end.