What's Eating Gilbert Grape

What's Eating Gilbert Grape
File:Whats eating gilbert grape poster.jpg Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Lasse Hallström
Produced by	David Matalon Bertil Ohlsson Meir Teper
Written by	Peter Hedges
Starring	Johnny Depp Leonardo DiCaprio Juliette Lewis Mary Steenburgen Crispin Glover John C. Reilly Darlene Cates
Music by	Alan Parker Björn Isfält
Cinematography	Sven Nykvist
Edited by	Andrew Mondshein
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures (United States) J&M Entertainment (International)
Release dates	December 17, 1993 (1993-12-17)
Running time	118 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$11 million (est)
Box office	$10 million

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Darlene Cates, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film follows twenty-four-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery clerk caring for his morbidly obese mother and developmentally disabled younger brother in a sleepy midwestern town. Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay, adapted from his 1991 novel of the same name.

Plot

In the small town of Endora, Iowa, Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is busy caring for Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), his brother with a developmental disability, as they wait for the many tourists' trailers to pass through town during their "yearly ritual" of camping at a nearby recreational area. His mother, Bonnie (Darlene Cates), gave up on life after her husband hung himself, in the basement, seventeen years earlier. She spends almost all of her time on the couch watching TV and eating. With Bonnie unable to care for her children on her own due to her morbid obesity, Gilbert has taken responsibility for repairing the old house and looking after Arnie, who has a habit of climbing the town water tower, while his sisters Amy and Ellen do the rest. The relationship between the brothers is of both care and protection, as Gilbert continually enforces the "nobody touches Arnie" policy. A new FoodLand supermarket has opened, threatening the small Lamson's Grocery where Gilbert works. In addition, Gilbert is having an affair with a married woman, Betty Carver (Mary Steenburgen).

The family is looking forward to Arnie's 18th birthday. A young woman named Becky (Juliette Lewis) and her grandmother are stuck in town when their car pulling an Airstream trailer breaks down. Gilbert's unusual life circumstances threaten to get in the way of their budding romance. In order to spend time with Becky watching the sunset, Gilbert leaves Arnie alone in the bath. He returns home late and wakes up the following morning to find Arnie still in the bath, shivering in the now-cold water; his guilt is compounded by his family's anger. His affair with Mrs Carver ends when she leaves town in search of a new life following her husband's death — he drowned in the paddling pool after suffering a heart attack. Becky becomes close to both Gilbert and Arnie and as she talks to Gilbert she begins to unlock some buried hopes, dreams and happiness. During one of their talks they are distracted from Arnie who returns to the water tower he is forever trying to climb. Arnie is arrested after being rescued from the top of the tower, causing his mother — who has not left the house in seven years — to become the object of pointing, laughing and gawking from the townspeople as she goes to the police station, forcing Arnie's release.

Soon after, Arnie tries to run away yet again from his bath and in his frustration Gilbert finally snaps, hitting Arnie several times. Guilty and appalled at himself, Gilbert takes the car and runs out without another word. Arnie also runs out and goes to Becky's, who takes care of him for the evening before he is picked up by his sisters. After some soul searching aided by Becky, Gilbert returns home during the birthday party to make amends to his family for running out and to be forgiven by Arnie which, with only the slightest hesitation, he is. He apologizes to his mother for his behavior and promises that he is not ashamed of her and that he will not let her be hurt anymore. He introduces her to Becky — something he has been reluctant to do earlier.

Following Arnie's 18th birthday party, Bonnie climbs the stairs to her bedroom for the first time since her husband's suicide. Arnie later tries to wake her but discovers she has died. The children, not willing to let their mother become the joke of the town by having her corpse lifted from the house by crane, empty their family home of possessions and set it on fire. A year later, Gilbert describes what happens to his family after his mother's death, as Gilbert and his brother Arnie wait by the side of a road for Becky.

Cast

• Johnny Depp as Gilbert Grape
• Juliette Lewis as Becky
• Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie Grape
• Mary Steenburgen as Betty Carver
• Darlene Cates as Bonnie Grape
• Laura Harrington as Amy Grape
• Mary Kate Schellhardt as Ellen Grape
• Kevin Tighe as Ken Carver
• John C. Reilly as Tucker Van Dyke
• Crispin Glover as Bobby McBurney
• Penelope Branning as Becky's Grandma
• Libby Villari as the Waitress

Production

What's Eating Gilbert Grape was shot in Texas, in various towns and cities; Austin and Pflugerville were primary locations, as well as Manor, where the water tower featured in the film was located.

Release

The film had a limited release on December 17, 1993 and wide release on March 4, 1994. The wide release garnered $2,104,938 on first weekend. Total domestic gross for the film was $10,032,765.

Critical reception

The film received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film was given an 89% "Certified Fresh" rating. New York Times film critic Janet Maslin praised DiCaprio's performance, writing "the film's real show-stopping turn comes from Mr. DiCaprio, who makes Arnie's many tics so startling and vivid that at first he is difficult to watch.... The performance has a sharp, desperate intensity from beginning to end." Roger Ebert of Chicago Sun-Times described it as "... one of the most enchanting films of the year" and said that DiCaprio deserved to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for which he was nominated. Todd McCarthy of Variety found the film a "bemused view on life" and remarked that "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization." Washington Post's Desson Howe thought the film was an earnest but highly predictable effort. Film Review praised Leonardo DiCaprio as the mentally challenged brother, calling it "a performance of astonishing innocence and spontaneity", bringing "a touching credibility to a very difficult part". Film Review quoted the actor:

I had to really research and get into the mind of somebody with a disability like that. So I spent a few days at a home for mentally retarded teens. We just talked and I watched their mannerisms. People have these expectations that mentally retarded children are really crazy, but it's not so. It's refreshing to see them because everything's so new to them.

The film was nominated for the prestigious Grand Prix of the Belgian Syndicate of Cinema Critics.

Accolades

Awards
Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
66th Academy Awards	Best Supporting Actor	Leonardo DiCaprio	Nominated
51st Golden Globe Awards	Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture	Leonardo DiCaprio	Nominated
65th National Board of Review Awards	Best Supporting Actor Award	Leonardo DiCaprio	Won

External links

• What's Eating Gilbert Grape at IMDb
• What's Eating Gilbert Grape at AllMovie