The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Leonardo DiCaprio. Even at such a young age, he garnered acclaim for his performances to which this challenging role may just be one of his best. A young man named Gilbert Grape is tasked with looking after his morbidly obese mother and mentally impaired brother, whilst developing a romance with the new girl in town. Both a family drama and a character study, where the primary focus is on the titular individual. The frustration of these unfortunate situations accumulate as he attempts to retain his inner rage to prevent his family from being destroyed. The stress and attentiveness of caring for two family members that constantly need looking after can be quite overbearing. Depp gives one of his better performances in what is a rather nuanced iteration of the character. His cool calm demeanour masquerades the anxiety within. It has to be said though, that DiCaprio easily stole the spotlight. Absolutely incredible performance. The innocence behind the tics and shenanigans that his mental illness causes was conveyed with the utmost of delicacy. It was difficult to watch certain scenes, he was that masterful. Cates was also noteworthy for her commanding role. Hedges, who originally wrote the novel, crafts a screenplay that retains the heart and tenderness of its source material. It's a classic 90s narrative structure where the story illustrates a clear beginning and conclusion without resorting to ambiguity, where you also feel that the characters have truly been developed as the plot progresses. Hallström's directing techniques were rather basic, which unfortunately prevented the cinematography from revealing itself. Some variations in direction would've elevated the drama, particularly the romance and affair, however the end result is nice. That's honestly the best way to describe this film. It's nice. Remove the performances and it would just be "good", but fortunately we have Depp and DiCaprio giving it their best.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a very odd film. And while everyone in the cast does a good job, Leonardo DiCaprio stands out with one of the most convincing performances I've seen in a long time. At times, I forgot Arnie was the same guy from Inception. I probably won't make a habit of watching this movie, but I'm glad I finally saw it.

First things first ladies and gentlemen; Leonardo DiCaprio! Leonardo DiCaprio! Leo-Nardo Di-Cap-Rio!!! Wow! Just, wow! Throughout the entire 117 minutes, consistently, Leonardo DiCaprio kept Arnie's flame burning. What an amazing performance. An absolutely stunning showing. I don't ever want to forget this performance, and that's what it is. It's not an "unforgettable" performance, no, it's deeper than that; it's a performance you just don't want to forget. An absolutely breathtaking performance that finally got its Oscar 22 years later.What's Eating Gilbert Grape has 2 characters who are over-the-top lovable, surrounded by other characters who were at varying levels of intense likability, on top of a story so absorbing and enthralling. I wasn't ready for this film to end.I had so much fun watching this movie. It had me at 5 minutes, to a point where even then, I felt as if it was already too close to the end, even though there was another 112 minutes to go. It's a film that took its time, and allowed you to fall in love with some characters without forcing it to happen.I'd love to give this film more than 8/10, however I had some minor issues. 1. I really wanted to know what happens with Tucker and his Burger Barn craze. That really interested me. 2. The title of the film wasn't given enough time to breathe. Sure Gilbert had a lot on his mind, but what was eating him surely, was his mother, and that reveal wasn't given the full attention it deserved, especially because it's a legitimate concern. 3. The editing could've been better.Alright, the "tearing down" is over, now back to how amazing this film was. The characters; Arnie, Bonnie, Amy, Tucker, Betty, Ellen, etc. The story, the performances; Leonardo DiCaprio, Darlene Cates, Laura Harrington, etc. Some stunning work was done in this film, to a point where you even wonder if there is some deliberate irony in Bonnie loving Arnie so much, and not wanting him to disappear, meanwhile Arnie's favourite game is; "Where is Arnie", then to later have Bonnie, disappear on him, and them all. 8.4/10.

Initially, this movie would seem to be a pretty boring two hours. It doesn't have a terribly definitive external plot like people expect lots of movies to have. That's not to say that there's not a story there, but it's just not one that you could advertise well. Actually, one could make a case that it was spoofed by Napoleon Dynamite eleven years later since very little happens in either Midwestern town, but Endora is made laughable enough that there's nothing really to spoof.Gilbert seems a little bit like one of those characters who "didn't exist before the movie", but I think this is actually his Inactiveness. The quoted phrase above is typically used when critiquing how a character is written, but I think it actually holds true for Glibert as a person. We don't think he's existed prior to the events of the movie because he hasn't. He's just been content with his dead-end life and doesn't feel like making any change to it, not because he likes it, but because he's just never considered doing anything else. Throughout the story, we see him try to shed the burdens and responsibilities that his family has placed on him and begin to seek his own interests. His most prominent burden is his disabled brother Arnie. I get the feeling that if Arnie ever did die, Gilbert would then be able to handle practically any challenge that he faced for the rest of his life. Firstly, he would finally have the freedom to accept other responsibilities without having to worry about Arnie, and secondly he would have so much day-to-day experience with hardships and dealing with difficult people that other tasks would seem fairly easy to him. But all the same, Arnie's innocence makes him worth the workload and he provides emotional support for Gilbert like nobody else could. A less rewarding burden is Mrs. Grape, a lump of a woman who becomes the laughingstock of the town for her extreme obesity. The other two women in Gilbert's life are his adulterous lover Mrs. Carver and the out of town visitor Becky. Eventually, Becky's presence in his life makes Gilbert more aware of himself and helps him to bring his entire family to a better state of life (even in the form of Mrs. Grape's death). Mrs. Carver is probably the most hatable character (outside of maybe Ellen Grape) because of her poor parenting and how she takes advantage of Gilbert's problems. On the other hand, Becky is a breath of fresh air to everyone she meets, but you don't get the sense that she's a saint or anything. The acting was amazing all around. Obviously DiCaprio steals the show as Arnie, but the other actors deserve props as well. Johnny Depp didn't really have an opportunity here for a great performance, but he did well enough for the part he was in. The overall directing felt way ahead of its time. Without knowing the year, I would have guessed that this came out ten years later than it did. I especially liked the way the camera was positioned so that you were constantly aware of how much danger Arnie is in whenever he is in an elevated position. The script was pretty good with dialogue and the author did a good job adapting the screenplay; I could feel the care that was put into the action lines as they were performed on-screen. The score did a really good job capturing the mood of care-freeness when that was called for.As I said at the start, it might not seem that appealing, but I would encourage you to give it a try. It will most likely not be one of your favorite movies, but it will be a fairly enjoyable and enriching experience. I suppose if you like one of the actors featured, there's already some draw anyways. If that is the case, you will not be disappointed by DiCaprio, but know that it is a relatively low-key performance from Johnny Depp. Overall Rating: 8/10.