What's Eating Gilbert Grape

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, and starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio and John C. Reilly. The film follows the story of Gilbert, a 25-year-old grocery store clerk who is caring for his morbidly obese mother, as well as his mentally disabled younger brother, Arnie. The film takes place in the fictional rural town of Endora, Iowa.

Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay, based on his 1991 novel of the same name. Filming took place from November 1992 to January 1993 in various parts of Texas.

The film was well received, with Depp and DiCaprio's performances garnering critical acclaim. At age 19, DiCaprio received his first nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, becoming the seventh-youngest Best Supporting Actor nominee for the former.

Plot
In the small town of Endora, Iowa, Gilbert Grape is busy caring for Arnie, his mentally disabled younger brother who is about to turn 18, as they wait for the many tourists' trailers to pass through town during an annual Airstreamers' Club gathering at a nearby recreational area. His father had hanged himself seventeen years earlier; since then, his mother, Bonnie, has spent most of her days on the couch watching television and eating. With Bonnie's morbid obesity leaving her unable to care for her children on her own, Gilbert has taken responsibility for repairing the old house and being protective of Arnie, who has a habit of climbing the town's water tower, as well as trees, while his sisters, Amy and Ellen, do the other housework. A new FoodLand supermarket has opened, threatening the small Lamson's Grocery where Gilbert works.

A young woman named Becky and her grandmother are stuck in town when the International Harvester Travelall pulling their trailer breaks down. Gilbert's unusual life circumstances threaten to get in the way of their budding romance. To spend time with Becky to watch the sunset, Gilbert leaves Arnie alone in the bath. He returns home late and finds Arnie still in the bath the following morning, shivering in the now-cold water; his guilt is compounded by his family's anger and Arnie's subsequent aquaphobia. Becky becomes close to both Gilbert and Arnie. While they are distracted during one of their talks, Arnie returns to the water tower that he is always trying to climb. Arnie is arrested after being rescued from the top of the tower, causing Bonnie — who has not left the house in more than seven years — to become the laughing stock of the town as she goes to the police station, forcing Arnie's release.

Soon, Arnie ruins two birthday cakes: the first, which Amy has lovingly made, accidentally; and the second, a replacement from FoodLand, which he dips into, having found it in the refrigerator. Arnie tries to run away from his bath, and in his frustration, Gilbert finally snaps, hitting Arnie several times. Guilty and appalled at himself, Gilbert flees, driving away in his truck. Arnie also runs to Becky, who takes care of him for the evening, and helps him overcome his aquaphobia, until he is picked up by his sisters. After some soul-searching, aided by Becky, Gilbert returns home during Arnie's 18th birthday party to make amends to his family for running out, and to receive Arnie's reluctant forgiveness. He also apologizes to his mother for his behavior, and vows not to be ashamed of her or let her be hurt anymore. She acknowledges how much of a burden that she has become to the family, and he forgives her. Gilbert also introduces Bonnie to Becky, something he had been reluctant to do.

Following the party, Bonnie climbs the stairs to her bedroom for the first time since her husband's suicide. Arnie tries to wake her, but discovers that she has died. With no way to remove her body from the second floor, the police make plans to return with a crane the next day. The family instinctively knows that there will be a crowd of people there to get a laugh, instead of paying their respects. Wanting to keep her death from becoming a mockery, the family removes the furniture and belongings from the house, after which Gilbert lights a match to burn the house to the ground with her body still inside.

A year later, Amy gets a job managing a bakery in the Des Moines area, while Ellen looks forward to switching schools and living in a bigger city. Gilbert waits by the side of the road with Arnie, waiting for the tourist trailers to come again. As part of the convoy, Becky arrives with her grandmother and picks them both up. Gilbert tells Arnie, "We can go anywhere."

Production
Filming for What's Eating Gilbert Grape began November 2, 1992, and concluded in late January 1993. It 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. Christian Bale was up for the part of Arnie, but lost to DiCaprio.

Film Review quoted actor Leonardo DiCaprio:

"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 ill 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."

Reception


The film had a limited release December 17, 1993, and wide release March 4, 1994. The wide release garnered $2,104,938 in its first weekend. It was considered a box-office bomb, with the total domestic gross for the film $10,032,765, although it achieved greater success on home video.

The film received positive reviews, with many critics praising the performances by Depp and DiCaprio. The latter was singled out for his performance in the film, many saying that DiCaprio stole the film from the lead actor, Depp. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film was given a 90% score, and an average rating of 7.40/10, based on 50 reviews. The site's consensus states: "It's sentimental and somewhat predictable, but those are small complaints, given the tender atmosphere and moving performances at the heart of What's Eating Gilbert Grape." Metacritic calculated an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

The 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 the 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".

The Washington Post's Desson Howe thought that the film was an earnest but highly predictable effort.

Film Review praised Leonardo DiCaprio as the mentally disabled brother, calling it "a performance of astonishing innocence and spontaneity", bringing "a touching credibility to a very difficult part".

Year-end lists

 * 2nd – David Elliott, The San Diego Union-Tribune
 * 4th – Dan Craft, The Pantagraph
 * 7th – Stephen Hunter, The Baltimore Sun
 * Honorable mention – Duane Dudek, Milwaukee Sentinel
 * Honorable mention – Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times
 * Honorable mention – Bob Carlton, The Birmingham News

Home media
The film was released as a "special collector's edition" DVD from Paramount June 20, 2006. The edition includes an audio commentary track by director Lasse Hallström and writer Peter Hedges, as well as the featurettes, "The Characters of Gilbert Grape", "The Voice of Gilbert Grape" and "Why We Love Gilbert Grape".

It received a Blu-ray release August 16, 2022.