What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1994)

"You don't hurt Arnie. You just don't." - Johnny Depp to Juliette Lewis

One of the better leftovers from last year is WHAT'S EATING GILBERT
GRAPE, a quirky, underplayed drama about a young man and his
dysfunctional rural family.

Meet the Grapes-- a decidedly odd lot.  Daddy is dead-- he hanged
himself in the basement-- and Momma (Darlene Cates) never leaves the
house. She weighs a quarter-ton and eats and sleeps on the couch.
Teenage daughters Amy and Ellen take care of their mother, a duty which
consists, mostly, of nonstop cooking. Then there's Arnie (Leonardo
DiCaprio), the youngest son who's seventeen and retarded. Arnie wasn't
supposed to survive childhood and requires constant supervision because,
among other things, he likes to climb trees, roofs, and water towers.

At the center is Gilbert (Johnny Depp), the eldest son and the glue that
holds the Grapes to the vine. Gilbert works at an ailing grocery,
occasionally "sees" a married woman (Mary Steenburgen), and spends most
of his time tending Arnie. He doesn't have much of a life-- something he
doesn't realize until after the arrival of Becky (Juliette Lewis), a
spirited girl who pitches a tent outside of town after her grandmother's
RV breaks down.

GILBERT GRAPE is a very likable film containing a wonderful balance of
humor and drama. The script is low-key and the direction is tasteful and
matter-of-fact. What makes the movie magic, though, is the cast.  And,
with one exception, that cast is fantastic.

Newcomer Darlene Cates is a heavyweight, both in performance and
stature. Her final scene is a knockout.  Leonard DiCaprio is astonishing
and clearly deserved of the Best Supporting Actor nomination he
received. Juliette Lewis is equally impressive and exhibits a wisdom
that is *clearly* is beyond her years. And don't forget Mary
Steenburgen, a delight as the housewife who's desperate for Gilbert's
attentions.

Look for Crispin Glover and Kevin Tighe. The latter does a fun turn as
Steenburgen's husband.

The weak link is *the* link, Johnny Depp. The young actor stands at the
center of GILBERT GRAPE and, essentially, does nothing. He could be
acting in a sequel to EDWARD SCISSORSHANDS, for we all know. But a dull
Deep isn't immediately irritating. Not when the strengths of the
supporting players clearly compensate for his "blank state." (Rated
"PG-13"/ 118 min.)

BOTTOM LINE:  Quirky, underplayed drama about a young man and his
              dysfunctional rural family. With the exception of Depp,
              the cast is the reason to see this delightful film.

Grade: B+

Copyright 1994 by Michael J. Legeros