Quite wonderful character study, great acting turns by Depp and DiCaprio, among others.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 36
Fresh: 32
Rotten:4
Average Rating: 7.5/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Bizarre, whimsical, and touching scenes mark WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE. Johnny Depp is Gilbert, the eldest brother in a large family of a very large (morbidly obese, actually) mother (Darlene Cates) who hasn't left the house since her... Bizarre, whimsical, and touching scenes mark WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE. Johnny Depp is Gilbert, the eldest brother in a large family of a very large (morbidly obese, actually) mother (Darlene Cates) who hasn't left the house since her husband committed suicide years before. Leonardo DiCaprio, who received an Academy Award nomination for his role, is Arnie, Gilbert's retarded teenage brother who needs constant supervision (he's often found scaling the town water tower). Caring, passive Gilbert is burdened beyond reason, living a dead-end life in a dying small town, stocking shelves at a grocery store whose business being taken over by the new mall supermarket. Gilbert's best friends (Crispin Glover and John C. Reilly) see their futures in the form of undertaker and Burger Barn owner, and Gilbert's other social life is taken up with a random affair with a frustrated and reckless housewife (Mary Steenburgen). Everyone needs the constantly patient Gilbert, whose future seems equally grim until well-traveled, straightforward Becky (Juliette Lewis) and her nonconformist grandmother (Penelope Branning) come to town. Their camper is in need of repair, so Becky stays long enough to actually have an effect on Gilbert, making his new life spiral in wild ways. Based on the novel by Peter Hedges (who also wrote the screenplay), WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE is quirky, irresistible, and endearingly eccentric without being a freak show. [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio
Starring: Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Screenwriter: Peter Hedges
Producer: David Matalon, Bertil Ohlsson, Meir Teper
Composer: Alan Parker
Get This Movie
Release:
Jun 20, 2006
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case - Sensormatic
- Widescreen - 16.9
Audio:
- Dolby Digtial 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - English
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Lasse Hallstrom - Director
- 2. Peter Hedges - Writer
- Featurettes - 1. The Voice of Gilbert Grape
- 2. The Characters of Gilbert Grape
- 3. Why We Love Gilbert Grape
- Production Interviews - 1. Johnny Depp - Star
- 2. Mary Steenburgen - Star
- 3. Juliette Lewis - Star
- Trailer - Original Theatrical Trailer
Reviews for What's Eating Gilbert Grape
There is not much plot to speak of, but the film instead presents a moody, elegiac atmosphere of longing and desperation that is powerfully tangible ....
Hallstrom finds the right bittersweet tone for his dysfunctional family tale (and one of Hollywood's few films about obesity), marvelously acted by Johnny Depp and particularly Leonardo DiCaprio in his second outing as a retarded adolescent.
Depp's sincere, subtle performance is certainly a big reason for the movie's success...
One of the best dramas ever. In a small town where nothing happens, every scene is an event as Gilbert deals with life.
Small-town drama has big moments thanks to Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis and a superb Leonardo DiCaprio.
Latest News for What's Eating Gilbert Grape
September 15, 2005:
That Crazy Carell Lands Yet Another New Gig
According to Variety, the suddenly VERY busy "40 Year-Old Virgin" Steve Carell has signed with Disney to star in Peter Hedges' comedy "Dan in Real Life,"... More...
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