What's Eating Gilbert Grape

1993
PG-13
1h 58m

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

258K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:11

Coming-of-Age Teen Drama Tragedy Drama

A young man in a small Midwestern town struggles to care for his mentally-disabled younger brother and morbidly obese mother while attempting to pursue his own happiness.A young man in a small Midwestern town struggles to care for his mentally-disabled younger brother and morbidly obese mother while attempting to pursue his own happiness.A young man in a small Midwestern town struggles to care for his mentally-disabled younger brother and morbidly obese mother while attempting to pursue his own happiness.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.7/10

258K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,499

119

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 8 wins & 7 nominations total

Videos3

Trailer 2:11

Official Trailer

Clip 4:29

The Rise of Leonardo DiCaprio

Clip 4:29

The Rise of Leonardo DiCaprio

Video 4:07

What Roles Did Leonardo DiCaprio Almost Play?

Photos104

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Johnny Depp felt bad about having to ridicule Darlene Cates' character, "Momma," and would often apologize to her after shooting. Depp once said to Cates, "Man, I want you to know how much I hated having to say those things about you, or about your character."

Goofs
Gilbert never says that his father died 17 years ago. He said that his father was "hung out to dry 17 years ago", meaning he probably lost a business or a lot of money, and a few years later committed suicide, so he really is Ellen's father. Arnie is also pretty aware of his father's method of dying. If he had died 17 years before, Arnie would just have been a baby, therefore not knowing exactly what happened.

Quotes
Becky: Tell me what you want, as fast as it comes to you.
Gilbert: Uhh...
Becky: Okay?
Gilbert: 'Kay.
Becky: Okay. What do you want?
[He's thinking about it]
Becky: Faster!
Gilbert: Okay. I want a new thing. House. I want a new house. And a family.
[He sighs heavily]
Gilbert: I want Momma to take aerobics classes. I want Ellen to grow up. I want a new brain for Arnie. I want...
Becky: What do you want for you? Just for you?
Gilbert: I want to be a good person.

Crazy credits
The cast is listed with all capital letters in the ending credits. Leonardo DiCaprio's name is listed in capital letters with smaller font size for character "I" in "Di".

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Pelican Brief/Beethoven's 2nd/Philadelphia/What's Eating Gilbert Grape/Wrestling Ernest Hemmingway (1993)

Soundtracks
This Magic Moment
by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman
Performed by The Manor High School Marching Band

User reviews436

Review

Featured review

9/10

Great Movie

This film starts out slow, but after we get to know the characters and their (dis)abilities, we begin to place ourselves in their shoes and the action picks up. Perhaps Leonardo DiCaprio's best performance ever, this movie is a true drama.

The focus of the movie is of course Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp). However, there are really several focal points in the movie, all of which add to a powerful storyline. As the title of the film suggests, just about everything seems to be a hardship for Gilbert, yet, somehow he manages to come to terms with reality and in the end obtains a newfound respect for life.

With good performances by supporting actors and actresses (Juliette Lewis, Darlene Cates, Leo D., and all the other "Grapes") and a nice comic relief from the city coroner (Bobby McBurney) and the local handyman (John C. Reilly), this movie should be seen by anyone who wishes to put themselves in a place where country roads and beautiful greenery give way to the perils and pitfalls of smalltown life.

Overall great acting, a good story, and something with which we can all relate. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" is an excellent movie!