Movie Description
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.
| Credits | | Producer: | Bertil Ohlsson, David Matalon, Meir Teper | | Cast: | John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen |
| Details | | Edition: | Spanish subtitles | | Sound: | HiFi Sound, Stereo Sound |
Notes
Theatrical release: December 25, 1993.
The project was filmed in Texas for Iowa.
Editorial Reviews
"...Enchanting....[Depp gives a] tender, disarming performance....The film's real showstopping turn comes from [DiCaprio]..."
Maslin
"...Depp gives a remarkably subtle performance. But it's DiCaprio's portrayal of retarded brother Arnie that earned an Oscar nomination..." -- Rating: B+
Entertainment Weekly - Glenn Kenny (09/22/1995)
"...Astute performances....Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization…. Crispin Glover is amusing..."
Variety - Todd McCarthy (12/13/1993)
"DiCaprio steals the show..."
USA Today - Mike Clark (05/24/2005)
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