What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

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Director: Lasse Hallstrom

Writer: Peter Hedges, based on his novel

Stars: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Darlene Cates, Laura Harrington, Mary Kate Schellhardt



Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is a young man languishing in a small Iowa town, stifling under the responsibility of caring for his family following the suicide of the father. 



Hope arrives in the form of a bohemian girl (Juliette Lewis) who travels the country in a camper with her grandmother. 



It held up well on a recent rewatch, though it’s not as devastating as I recalled. (Oh, the hazards of returning to a cherished film.) 



The character of the gigantically obese mother (Darlene Cates) effectively dramatizes how family obligations can tie one down, and it's interesting to note how she morphs from a figure of ridicule to one of sympathy as the film progresses. 



I first became aware of Leonardo DiCaprio because of his role as the autistic (?) younger brother. 



I remember wondering how they got such a good performance out of a mentally disabled actor. 



There are lots of good supporting performances from the likes of Kevin Tighe, John C. Reilly, and Crispin Glover. 



The romance was pretty far-fetched, but I was won over by the characters, so it didn’t bother me too much.


























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