The Good Son (1993)

A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and befriends his cousin, a boy of the same age who shows increasing signs of violent and psychopathic behavior.

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writer:

Ian McEwan

Stars:

Macaulay Culkin, Elijah Wood, Wendy Crewson

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Macaulay Culkin	...	Henry
Elijah Wood	...	Mark
Wendy Crewson	...	Susan
David Morse	...	Jack
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Wallace
Jacqueline Brookes	...	Alice
Quinn Culkin	...	Connie
Ashley Crow	...	Janice
Guy Strauss	...	Arizona Doctor
Keith Brava	...	Doctor in Blackport
Jerem Goodwin	...	Factory Worker
Andria Hall	...	Woman Reporter
Bobby Huber	...	Axe Man
Mark Stefanich	...	Ice Man
Susan Hopper	...	Woman at Rescue

Storyline

Following his mother's death, Mark is sent to Maine to visit his aunt and uncle while his father goes on a business trip to Tokyo. Mark meets his cousin Henry, and the two quickly form a friendship. However, Henry shows signs of violent behavior that worry Mark.

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Plot Keywords:

evil child | psychopath | killer child | child in jeopardy | killing a dog | 

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Taglines:

A gonosz igazi arca (The true face of evil) (Hungarian DVD)

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for acts of violence and terror involving a disturbed child

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Mark (Elijah Wood) is playing a Gameboy on their drive east, his father (David Morse) says, "If you ever get tired of bombing the universe..." In Stanley Kubrick's Stephen King The Shining after Danny (Danny Lloyd) finishes playing a video game, his father (Jack Nicholson) asks him, "...did you get tired of bombing the universe?"

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Goofs

When the power is switched off in the house for hide and seek, the digital alarm clock is still on.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man: [Mark plays soccer with his teammates as they cheer Mark's name] Get the ball!
Mark: Pass it to me!
Boy: Shoot it! Hit it in! Hit it in!
Mark: [Mark scores the goal] Yes! Yes!
Boy: Good goal! Good game.

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Alternate Versions

The 1995 UK video version was cut by 33 secs by the BBFC to edit shots of 2 young boys dropping a lifelike human dummy into a stream of traffic to cause a motorway pile-up, as this was considered a dangerous imitable technique. The cuts were waived for the 2002 version.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Ri¢hie Ri¢h (2012)

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Soundtracks

Rocks & Rails
Music composed by Elmer Bernstein

User Reviews

Macaulay Culkin's best performance and film.

This is Macaulay Culkin's best film. He was very creepy as the young boy with a black heart. The dialogue was great. I truly admired the performance of Elijah Wood, emerging as one of the best young actors around. This film has so much suspense, by the end, I was very exhausted.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Good Son

Filming Locations:

2 Boardman Avenue, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,520,305, 26 September 1993

Gross USA:

$44,789,789

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,613,008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1