This film is set in the small town of Endora, Iowa. Gilbert (Johnny Depp), the hero and narrator of this story, is a burnt-out altruist who spends most of his time caring for his housebound 500-pound mother (Darling Cates), his retarded younger brother (Leonardo DeCaprio), and his two quarrelsome sisters (Laura Harrington and Mary Kate Schellhardt). Although Gilbert’s heart is in the right place, he would welcome a life of his own.
He works at a small local grocery, which does little business since most of the townsfolk shop at a modern supermarket. The only perks of the job are deliveries to the unhappy wife (Mary Steenburgen) of an insurance salesman. She’s picked Gilbert for a lover because she figures he’ll always be around. But when her husband dies, she leaves town.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape has been adapted for the screen by Peter Hedges from his own novel. The director of this quirky study of altruism is Lasse Hallstrom, who was responsible for the heart-affecting Swedish classic My Life As A Dog. He draws out a touching performance from Johnny Depp as Gilbert. His relationship with his mentally challenged brother is especially interesting. He patiently attends to Arnie’s quicksilver moods that can be wild, childlike, or controlling. Leonardo DiCaprio turns in an astonishingly vivid performance as this teenager.
Gilbert loves his family, but he resents their demands upon him, which hobble even his simplest needs, like an evening date. Selflessness has its limits. His perspective is changed by Becky (Juliette Lewis), a pretty and worldly-wise young woman who with her grandmother is forced to stay in Endora after their trailer breaks down. Arnie takes an immediate liking to her, and Gilbert cautiously follows suit. As their love slowly blooms, she helps him see his mother and brother in fresh ways.
Even good people wear down and need a breather. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is the story of one young man who learns that it is possible to keep doing the right thing. It shows how deep and true love in a family context can be transformed and renewed again and again.