Family... sometimes a responsibility you can't wait to be released from, sometimes a group of people you can't be away from. I had heard and seen so much about What's Eating Gilbert Grape and finally got a copy for my birthday last month. Of course I made my second boyfriend (Johnny Depp is my first, and unfortunately he won't watch this movie, so eh... I take what I can get) watch it with me, after having it hyped for so long.

Endora Iowa is the sweet home to the Grape family, which includes the older brother/father-figure/terribly handsome Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), Older sister Amy Grape (Laura Harrington), younger, mentally challenged brother Arnie Grape (Leonardo DiCaprio), younger, rebellious sister Ellen Grape (Mary Kate Schellhardt), and obese mother Bonnie Grape (Darlene Cates). Gilbert introduces us to these people- his family, and from the beginning we can tell that though he loves them with all his heart, that same heart yearns for something more.

From the get-go we can tell that though Gilbert is sometimes frustrated, he loves his family more than anything. He seems torn between maintaining his "father figure" status with them and becoming more of a social bee in town. We learn that Gilbert's father hung himself about 15 years previously. Also, Bonnie Grape, his mother, has become incredibly obese, and Gilbert is torn between being embarrassed by her and concerned for her. Older sister Amy takes care of Bonnie, and the things Bonnie would do... if she could. Ellen is rebellious and kind of rude, obviously upset at the family situation, and Arnie is, well... Arnie. The doctors didn't give him long to live, but he's still kicking, and his eighteenth birthday is coming up. Gilbert, as you probably assumed, is Arnie's main caretaker.

The movie is mostly about Gilbert's struggles with his feelings, but the other characters are just as important. Gilbert is learning how to balance a full family life as well as a new-found love, Becky (Juliette Lewis). Arnie is trying to learn that he can't always be the center of attention, and that there are rules, even for him.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape isn't totally a plot-driven movie, but is more like a montage of events that describe and explain Gilbert's feelings as he starts to realize he wants more than what he's currently getting out of life. We can all relate to the kinds of things that happen in this movie. Gilbert, as I mentioned earlier, struggles with the embarrassment and concern for his mother's extreme obesity; we've all struggled with knowing when to side with someone or against them, and its a tough lesson to learn that you can't please all people all the time. It's also easy to relate to having an odd family situation. For the Grape family, the kids seem to live on their own; they're fatherless and they take care of their mother, making them almost motherless. Also, being that Endora is such a small town, gossip gets around and other peoples problems become your own... making the Grapes a family of entertainment to the town.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a beautiful, relatable, real story that touches the hearts of everyone who watches it. I loves the simplicity of the filming, allowing the beauty of the story to hold the viewer's attention. The actors all portrayed their characters very realistically. I often hear people laugh at Leonardo DiCaprio's role as Arnie, but myself... I honestly don't know how he pulled that off. Mental disabilities are beyond my understanding, and Arnie was real to me. Wow. Gilbert was wonderful; you felt his indecisiveness and confusion, and hey, he wasn't bad to look at (come on, its Johnny and you all know me... how could I NOT say anything??). Ellen and Amy didn't have as much screen time, but they each had their own believable attributes. Bonnie's story was tear-jerking, and Gilbert's love interest, Becky is sweet; its easy to see why Gilbert is interested.

Bonnie: "I haven't always been like this..."
Becky: "... Well I haven't always been like this."

I enjoyed this movie very much and only found a few things that I wasn't crazy about. First, the movie was a little mushy at times, but come on guys... we all have to watch the mushy movies once in awhile. Also, my boyfriend made a good point when he said the movie seemed to lack a real story. I thought about that for awhile. I agree with him, and usually that kind of thing bothers me, so I couldn't figure out why I liked the movie so much (duh... its starring... never mind, I'll spare you from reading my love-babblings again). I came to the conclusion that while the story does lack a firm, continuous storyline, the story is what we make of it ourselves, if that makes any sense.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape? Well... why don't you watch and find out for yourselves.

Cast from What's Eating GIlbert Grape besides my beloved JD:
Gilbert Grape... Johnny Depp, Blow, Secret Window
Arnie Grape... Leonardo DiCaprio, Catch Me if You Can, Titanic
Betty Carver... Mary Steenburgen, I am Sam
Bonnie Grape... Darlene Cates, Wolf Girl
Amy Grape... Laura Harrington, Devil's Advocate
Ellen Grape... Mary Kate Schellhardt, Apollo 13
Becky... Juliette Lewis, Starsky & Hutch

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 9 - 12