The Good Son (1993)

A young boy stays with his aunt and uncle and befriends his cousin, a boy of the same age who begins showing 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 begins to show signs of violent behavior that worry Mark.

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Plot Keywords:

psychopath | evil child | killing a dog | fratricide | loss of mother | 

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Taglines:

In a quiet town...In a comfortable home...In a perfect body...Evil can be as close as someone you love.

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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

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 September 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

El ángel malvado

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$44,594,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$60,417,219

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mary Steenburgen was originally cast as Susan, but dropped out when the movie was delayed.

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Goofs

Close-up shot of the Caprice station wagon hitting the snow mobile trailer in the freeway wreck scene clearly shows a completely empty road beyond, even though in every other shot there are multiple vehicles approaching and crashing.

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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 The Cinema Snob: The Stepfather (2014)

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Soundtracks

End Credits
Music composed by Elmer Bernstein

User Reviews

Some excellent bits

An interesting idea: parents having to deal with a psychopathic child. Believe it or not, such a situation is not uncommon. And Culkin does an excellent job. His coolness, his sudden changes of approach without any apparent shifting of gears, his complete lack of emotional reaction - which have been interpreted by some reviewers as poor acting - are actually very realistic. Personally, I find his calm and apparently effortless demeanour more frightening than the ravings of the lunatics in many other horror films.

Unfortunately, the plot lacks all credibility. Certainly psychopaths are excellent con-men (in fact, they are the most typical con-men) but it is absurd to believe that a child like this could have covered his tracks so well that his parents do not even suspect that there is something wrong with him. Even more ridiculous is that his behaviour towards his little sister - whom he hates enough to try to kill her - has been so good in the past that she trusts him completely. The cliches of the over-dramatic ending are also a bit much. A pity, because there is much of value in the film.