"What's Eating Gilbert Grape" made its debut in 1993, starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, and Leonardo DiCaprio. It is based on the novel of the same name by Peter Hedges, who also wrote the screenplay. The story takes in the fictional town of Endora, Iowa, a small town with no excitement. Gilbert Grape, played by Depp, hates his life, feeling as if he's stuck in a rut. He's expected to take care of his family, particularly his morbidly obese mother and his mentally disabled brother Arnie (played by DiCaprio).
Gilbert works at the local grocery store, which is threatened by a big, fancy supermarket. He also has an affair with an older, married woman. His life is going nowhere, and he's sick of it. Our title character gets out of his dull routine temporarily when a non-local girl named Becky (played by Lewis) rolls into town and grabs his attention, making him neglect the things that tie him down.
It's your classic coming-of-age story, but it's just so unique. Gilbert is a relatable character, being unhappy with his life and wanting to get out of it. He may sound like a jerk at times, but the guy's got a good heart. He doesn't care for the company of any townsfolk, but he's still respectful, especially to his boss at work.
He has close friends to vent to and keep him company, and even though they're a little annoying, he's still loyal to them. Just like a typical human being though, he has his limits. He snaps, cracks rude jokes, and is burned out. We can all connect to him.
The Grape family as a whole is dysfunctional, and this is observed by the whole community. Gilbert knows this and is ashamed. His mother gave up on life after her husband's suicide and never left the house, all the while eating anything she could find. Gilbert's older sister, Amy, is the surrogate mother of the house and has worn herself thin.
The youngest of the Grape family, Ellen, doesn't pull much of her weight and is obsessed with her appearance and boys. While the Grape family seems like a joke, they're much more than that. They've all stuck together through the tragedy of losing a husband and father, and they even try to get along when planning Arnie's 18th birthday party, wanting to make it as special as possible.
What really stuck out in this film was the performance of Leonardo DiCaprio. He really pulled off the mannerisms of a mentally handicapped individual, giving the audience a very realistic picture. He even mentioned that all he did was go to a home for the mentally impaired and talked to them and well as study their behaviors. DiCaprio was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as Arnie Grape. He should've gotten his first Oscar for this movie.
For those who haven't seen this film, I highly recommend it. The movie is hard to summarize since it's so complex, but that just makes it even more interesting. The performances by the cast are phenomenal and allow you to know the characters well. Please give this one a go!
