WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE

Cole's Rating: B
Thatcher's Rating: B
Jesse's Rating: B+

Year: 1993
Cast: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: PG-13

As I was surfing the Netflix queue on a sick day, I came across What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. And boy, how glad I am that I did. This movie is based on Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), who is cooped up in a small, backwater town in Iowa. Gilbert’s job was to take care of his family, a 15-year-old bratty sister named Amy, his younger sister Ellen who takes the role of the mother, because the mother is obese in its very definition, and does not contribute to the household whatsoever. And most importantly, he takes care of his mentally impaired brother Arnie (Leonardo Dicaprio), who did an astounding job portraying the character. In my opinion, almost comparable to Dustin Hoffman’s performance in Rain Man. Gilbert meets a beautiful young woman, Becky (Juliette Lewis), and falls in love. They were racing against the clock, because as soon as Becky and her mother got their car to work again, Becky was gone.

This movie was touching. It’s not everyday you have to patiently care for a highly defective boy, who was soon to be a young man. The relationship between the two (Gilbert and Arnie) was solely love. Arnie only new good things; he reminded me of a giddy, careless child, sheltered from the world in the best way possible. And that was all he was ever going to be. Gilbert accepted that.

With a running time of 118 minutes, I believe the movie could’ve been done in less time.  I found it replaying the same scene (not literally) several times, and it could’ve done without. It would have been more effective, in my opinion, had it been produced in less time. 

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is recommended to those who enjoy movies taken place in a place that most do not experience life in, and those who enjoy observing compassionate relationships. 

Written by Cole Pollyea