What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

This is the movie that Leonardo DiCaprio received an Oscar nomination for, five years before Titanic. And, in fact, this is the movie that should have made him a star, he's so good in it. Based on the novel by Peter Hedges (who adapted his own book) and directed by Lasse Hallström (My Life as a Dog), this is the funny, moody tale of a young man named Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) who lives at home in a small town with his 500-pound Momma (beautifully played by nonpro Darlene Cates), his mentally retarded younger brother Arnie (DiCaprio, utterly convincing), and his sisters. Not a lot happens--Arnie keeps climbing a water tower and getting stuck; Gilbert is involved with a married woman (Mary Steenburgen), then meets a nice new girl in town who's closer to his age (Juliette Lewis). And that's exactly what makes this movie so much more than your run-of-the-mill Hollywood product: it's not about some mechanical, formulaic plot; it's about these characters, and it allows you to spend some time with them and get to know them. Depp may have started out as a TV teen idol on 21 Jump Street, but his feature film choices since then--in such wonderfully offbeat and diverse movies as Cry-Baby, Edward Scissorhands, Benny & Joon, Donnie Brasco--have made him one of the most interesting, unpredictable, and risk-taking young actors in American movies. --Jim Emerson Amazon.com

Watchable

Fine acting, fine performances, in a realistic enough setting. But the writers forgot to make me care about these people. I watched half and then gave up. September 1, 2008

What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Commentary is awesome! This movie is a classic I will share with high school aged students. August 30, 2008

A really good movie

I finally watched this movie recently and was glad I did it. I had been meaning to watch it for years but never seemed to be able to find the time. When I saw it came out on one of our high def movie channels I made sure to set the DVR to record it.

This movie is both fun and sad. Mostly it's sad though. Johnny Depp plays Gilbert Grape. He's a young man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He has a mom who hasn't come out of the house in years since his father committed suicide in the basement. He has a brother with a disability who is unable to care for himself. And, to top it off, he has three other sisters to watch out for. Try juggling that while working at a grocery store, having an affair with an insurance salesman's wife, and falling in love with a young woman who is only in town for a short period of time.

They live in a small town in Iowa that is going no where. His only friends is the local mortician and a handyman with a dream of owning a Burger Barn.

Over the summer, everything changes for him. The aforementioned young lady has caught his eye, his brother's eighteenth birthday is nearing, a super mega grocery store has opened outside of town, and his own emotional needs are coming to a head.

It's a really good movie and I'm looking forward to reading the book now so I can see what all was left out. I highly recommend you watching this movie at the very least. August 11, 2008

What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

I love this movie. It's speaks of bondage and the desire to be free. The quality of the video is great! August 10, 2008

Your jaw is going to hit on the floor

It is a MUST to watch it. Leo...he was an incredibility amazing actor in that movie. Johnny Depp made this movie beautiful and so was Darlene Cates. July 28, 2008

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