Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Johnny Depp | ... | Gilbert Grape | |
Leonardo DiCaprio | ... | Arnie Grape | |
Juliette Lewis | ... | Becky | |
Mary Steenburgen | ... | Betty Carver | |
Darlene Cates | ... | Momma | |
Laura Harrington | ... | Amy Grape | |
Mary Kate Schellhardt | ... | Ellen Grape | |
Kevin Tighe | ... | Mr. Carver | |
John C. Reilly | ... | Tucker Van Dyke | |
Crispin Glover | ... | Bobby McBurney | |
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Penelope Branning | ... | Becky's Grandma |
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Tim Green | ... | Mr. Lamson |
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Susan Loughran | ... | Mrs. Lamson |
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Robert B. Hedges | ... | Minister (as Rev. Robert B. Hedges) |
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Mark Jordan | ... | Todd Carver |
What's Eating Gibert Grape is a beautifully shot movie of tenderness, caring and self-awareness that is set amongst the fictional working class one street town Endora. Centred around the Grape family Ellen and Amy and their two brothers Arnie and Gilbert, who, along with their morbidly obese widowed mother Bonnie Grape are striving to survive and coexist with the absence of a father figure, low wage work and seventeen-year-old Arnie's severe mental condition. It is in this awkward and extremely one sided affair that the unfortunate Gilbert has to constantly, while working for the town's slowly dying convenience store, take care of his younger brother Arnie. Gilbert's life, his future, is thwarted he knows this, but it is in this guardian angel that his love and bond for Arnie cannot, and will not, be let go. That is until the free spirit of Becky arrives in town, and with her grandmother are stranded for the week while waiting for parts for their vehicle. This realization unties new ... Written by Cinema_Fan
One of the delights of having raised a family and having more time to yourself s that you get to go back and watch all the movies you missed. I am just now getting to explore the actors whose careers have been postponed, in our lives, by Ninja Turtles and Disney. I fell in lust with Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and he made me a real fan in Finding Neverland. But in Gilbert Grape, he won my heart completely. This man can act with his eyes. The biggest surprise was Leo DiCaprio as Arnie. Amazing, and he was only 19 when the film was released. He gave an amazing portrayal of a boy who goes in and out of his own world. Juliette Lewis was a quiet storm in this film; she gave Gilbert an anchor of solid acceptance when the pain of his life almost got the best of him.
The casting worked perfectly to create family dynamics that were so very real that they did not even seem brandable as dysfunctional. I appreciated that the mother was never portrayed as less intelligent simply because she was overweight. I loved that the kids did everything they could to protect their mother and their disturbed brother from outside influences and hurt feelings. They stuck together until the end which actually became the beginning. A hopeful and joyous film.