This Boy's Life

Nomadic, flaky Caroline Wolff (Ellen Barkin) wants to settle down in one place, find a decent man, and provide a better home for her and her son, Tobias "Toby" Wolff (Leonardo DiCaprio). When she moves to Seattle, Washington, and meets the seemingly respectable Dwight Hansen (Robert De Niro), she thinks she has accomplished her goals. Toby, however, comes to feel differently; Dwight's true personality is revealed after Toby spends a few months separated from his mother with Dwight and his children. The boy's stepfather-to-be seems to want to mold Toby into a better person, but his method includes emotionally, verbally and physically abusing the boy. Read more on Wikipedia.