The Good Son
![Watch film The Good Son — The Good Son (1993) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_gHxeAadqOs/sddefault.jpg)
Short description
Mark Evans, a boy of about twelve, moves in with relatives after his mother's death and meets his cousin Henry, who is the same age. Henry appears charming and well behaved to the adults around him, but Mark gradually comes to see a cruel and dangerous side that Henry keeps hidden from his parents and younger sister. The two boys form a bond that turns into a private struggle as Mark tries to make others understand what his cousin really is.
Joseph Ruben directed the film, working from a screenplay by the novelist Ian McEwan, and Ruben produced it with Mary Ann Page. It followed several of Ruben's earlier thrillers, including The Stepfather and Sleeping with the Enemy. Macaulay Culkin plays Henry opposite Elijah Wood as Mark, with Wendy Crewson, David Morse, Daniel Hugh Kelly and Jacqueline Brookes in supporting roles.
Made for about 17 million dollars and released in September 1993, the film took in roughly 61 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. Audiences are divided: on IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from more than 44,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.8 out of 10 from over a thousand votes. A critics' rating of 4.6 out of 10 from 28 reviews is noticeably below both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- Initially, when the project was in development in 1988, the role of Henry Evans was intended for Michael Clesic.
- Michael Lehmann was originally approved as the film's director, but was removed from the project due to serious disagreements and conflicts with Macaulay Culkin's father.
- The scene for the final climax was filmed on the Palisade Head cliffs, located near the town of Silver Bay, Minnesota, and overlooking Lake Superior. The script called for everything to take place on the Atlantic Ocean shore, but thorough searches there for a suitable cliff proved unsuccessful. The top of the cliff is approximately 55 meters above the water, however, a three-meter artificial peak made of plastic and wood was built on top of it specifically for the film's shooting so that the actors would not be restricted in their movements during this key scene. To simulate ocean waves below, an entire flotilla of motorboats was used to create foam while remaining out of the camera's view.
- Filming period: November 19, 1992 – March 25, 1993.
- In 1995, 33 seconds of screen time were cut from the scene where Henry throws a mannequin onto the road for the British video release. The uncut version was not released until 2002.
- In the final scene of the battle on the cliff, when Henry and Mark are hanging by Susan’s hands, and Mark’s hand begins to slip, in one shot he holds her hand, and with a change of shot, he is holding her wrist, and with another change of shot, he is holding her hand again.
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