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 | Horror | 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

The cigarette that Elijah Wood (Mark) and Macaulay Culkin (Henry) smoke in the film was an empty tube filled with dried parsley and lettuce leaves.

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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

Featured in Father Knows Best with David Morse (2017)

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Soundtracks

End Credits
Music composed by Elmer Bernstein

User Reviews

A REAL CLIFF HANGER OF A FLICK !!

This film kept my eyes glued to the screen from beginning to end. Macaulay Culkin,(Henry Evans),"Party Monsters",'03, gave one of his best performances and really showed his great talents which made you hate him through out the entire picture. Henry had to share his home with a young boy who had recently lost his mother and was in deep depression, he was the son of David Morse,(Jack),"Hack",TV Series, 02, who had to leave him with his brothers family. All hell breaks loose after the two young boys get to know each other. If you viewed the film the "Bad Seed", you will have some idea what the story is about. It is a real nail biting film and makes you crazy trying to figure out just how the story will END! If you love Macaulay Culkin, this is his best FILM !