What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers (WGA):

Peter Hedges (novel)
Peter Hedges (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Arnie knows a secret. His big brother Gilbert is the greatest person on the planet.

Plot:

Gilbert has care for his brother Arnie and his obese mother, which gets in the way when love walks into his life.

Plot Keywords:

Grocery Store | Hydrophobia | Beating | Iowa | Quirky

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Gilbert Grape
Leonardo DiCaprio	...	Arnie Grape
Juliette Lewis	...	Becky
Mary Steenburgen	...	Betty Carver
Darlene Cates	...	Bonnie Grape
Laura Harrington	...	Amy Grape
Mary Kate Schellhardt	...	Ellen Grape
Kevin Tighe	...	Ken Carver
John C. Reilly	...	Tucker Van Dyke
Crispin Glover	...	Bobby McBurney
Penelope Branning	...	Becky's Grandma
Tim Green	...	Mr. Lamson
Susan Loughran	...	Mrs. Lamson
Robert B. Hedges	...	Minister
Mark Jordan	...	Todd Carver

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for elements of mature subject matter.

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #32522) | Iceland:L | France:Unrated | South Korea:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-10 | Germany:6 (f) | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

J&M Entertainment

Trivia:

During the scene where Darlene Cates (Momma) climbed the staircase, she climbed only the first two or three steps. This footage was reused to show her climbing the entire staircase. The room which served as her upstairs bedroom was actually a downstairs room.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the diner, after the undertaker discusses the reality of death, Gilbert picks up his coffee cup twice between shots without having enough time to put it down.

Quotes:

Arnie Grape: I could go at any time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Martin Lawrence/Crash Test Dummies (#19.14)" (1994)

Very well-done

I thought I wouldn't like this. I decided to see it because I'm a fan of Johnny Depp who appeared in some of my favorite movies [ Edward Scissorhands, Benny and Joon, etc. ] I knew what the plot was: a guy who lives with his 15 year old sister, his 18 year old mentally disabled brother who could die at any time and his morbidly obese mother always has to do everything for his family and something happens that changes his life. It sounded like it was a typical sappy drama. I usually hate dramas like that. Movies in which the only point is to feel bad for the characters. But this one was quite different.

The plot in this movie is unclear, which makes it appealing in my opinion. There isn't a lot of events in the movie, really. It all revolves around Arnie's birthday and Gilbert's meeting with the new girl. The movie is very slow paced and doesn't rely on action and shock to catch his viewer's attentions. It's moving, but the dialogues are also very simple. You might expect this movie to be over-dramatic but it's everything but that. The situation and story are extremely sad, but I never felt overwhelmed by this. Keep in mind that I can't usually handle dramas very well.

The movie is about partly about Gilbert, but it also describes life in this town very well. Gilbert's family often has a big impact on the other people in this town, so it's natural that they would be the family that the movie is about. What's also really nice is that Gilbert isn't portrayed as a hero in this movie. He has flaws, and he can make mistakes even if he's taking care of everyone. He is not the typical good-hearted young adult or teenager who's taking care of everyone and wants to give everything for his family. He actually has feelings of his own and he is trying to find himself. The whole movie is about his quest to find who he really is, if he isn't Gilbert Grape, the guy who's always running after his brother Arnie.

Another good point about this movie is the way it was filmed. The visuals are great and the way the movie was made makes us feel like we're seeing life in a different way than usual.