Review of What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) by Nathan C — 14 Aug 2012

A quirky melodrama that ends up being wonderful. As unusual as it seems, this is a family drama that works much better than most.

Because the Grapes' father killed himself and their morbidly obese mother is left to the house, oldest brother Gilbert is the man of the house. He has to juggle with working at a grocery store in a dead-end town and being tied up in an affair with a married woman as well as constantly taking care of his autistic brother, Arnie. However, things seem to change when Gilbert finds true love, but will his desire for his own happiness get in the way of taking care of his family as well as his penchant for making others happy?

First off, the acting by the leads was phenomenal. Johnny Depp really shines here, and Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as the retarded brother blew me away. Even the supporting actors are heartfelt, though Juliette Lewis played her part a bit shallow. There's loads of irony throughout the entire movie, and it ends up enhancing the final product instead of just making it quirky. With some truly chaotic scenes and sympathy for Gilbert, you'd think the source material would be played for sugary "awww" sentiment, but the direction and homely tone really bring it down to earth, and the film's all the better for not being sappy. The emotions feel genuine yet there's much meditation on the thematic side, making this film enjoyable and ultimately bittersweet.

The only downsides is that as hopeful as it seems, this movie is marred in some existentialist undertones, the script can get rather manipulative at times, and it feels like much of the movie stalls until it gets to some point. However, even with these flaws in mind, it is very hard not to like this film.

Overall, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" was a fantastic melodrama that is both emotionally effective and enriching in its own way.