rating:
(out of
4 stars)United States; 1993
Directed by Lasse Hallström; produced by David Matalon, Bertil Ohlsson, Meir Teper; screenplay by Peter Hedges
Starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Leondardo DiCaprio, Mary Steenburgen, Darlene Cates, Laura Harrington, Mary Kate Schellhardt, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover
Below you will find a temporary review for this film. The real (better, more complete) review will be online very soon.
With 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' director Lasse Hallström has made a film
you can simply love. It shows a family in a very small town named Endura
where most people know each other. Johnny Depp is Gilbert Grape, a young man
who sacrifices himself and his happiness to take care of his younger
brother, the mentally disabled Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), and his mother who
weighs over a couple of hundred pounds. He works in the local supermarket
and has an affair with a married woman named Betty (Mary Steenburgen). His
best friend is Tucker (John C. Reilly), a man who has a dream; to work in
the new hamburger joint. You can easily understand how Gilbert feels, but
things change when the free spirited Becky (Juliette Lewis) comes to town.
She travels from place to place with her grandma (Penelope Branning) but now
their motor-home has given up on them.
This film is a terrific insight in the lives of a couple of people living in
a small town. The material is handled in such a way we can believe every
character and every choice they make. Gilbert has two more sister, one a
teenager with the usual teenager behavior, one more of Gilbert's age, also
constantly taking care of the family. They both get enough screen-time to
understand their actions, their feelings. The films shows sympathy for every
character, but is not afraid to give us some laughs because of their
problems. When Gilbert is working outside the house a young boy approaches.
Gilbert lifts him up so the boy can see his fat mother, making the day of
the boy.
'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' is a moving film, but it is often very funny.
DiCaprio steals every scene he is in, he deserved that Oscar nomination
completely. Depp is terrific as always and Lewis is a lot better than she
usually is. The small parts find their perfect actor as well, Steenburgen
and Reilly especially. Lasse Hallström has a way of dealing with human drama
that makes his films entertaining. He did the same thing with 'The Cider
House Rules' and 'Chocolat'. His films can move you, but occasionally make
you laugh without really pushing the funny moments. This is a marvelous
film.