What's Eating Gilbert Grape

In the small town of Endora, Iowa, Gilbert Grape is busy caring for Arnie, his mentally disabled younger brother who is about to turn 18. They are waiting on the side of the road to watch the flood of tourists' trailers pass through town during an annual Airstreamers' Club gathering at a nearby recreational area.

His father had lost his business and money seventeen years earlier, and died by suicide two years later. Since then, his mother Bonnie has spent most of her days on the couch watching television and eating. With Bonnie's obesity leaving her unable to care for her children on her own, Gilbert has taken on many of her responsibilities. He works to repair the old house that his father built, and acts protective of Arnie, who has a habit of climbing the town's water tower and trees. While his sisters Amy and Ellen help with the housework, their oldest brother Larry had moved away some years earlier. A new FoodLand supermarket has opened, threatening the small Lamson's Grocery where Gilbert works. Gilbert is also having an affair with a married woman to whom he delivers groceries.

A young woman named Becky and her grandmother are stuck in town when the International Harvester Travelall pulling their trailer breaks down. Gilbert's unusual life circumstances threaten to get in the way of their budding romance. To spend time with Becky to watch the sunset, Gilbert leaves Arnie alone in the bath. He returns home late and finds Arnie still in the bath the following morning, shivering in the now-cold water; his guilt is compounded by his family's anger and Arnie's subsequent aquaphobia.

Becky becomes close to both Gilbert and Arnie. While she and Gilbert are distracted during one of their talks, Arnie returns to the water tower he always tries to climb. Arnie is arrested after being rescued from the top of the tower, causing Bonnie, who has not left the house in more than seven years, to become the town's laughingstock as she goes to the police station to demand Arnie's release.

Arnie ruins two birthday cakes: the first when he runs into Amy and she drops the cake she has lovingly made; and the second, a replacement from FoodLand into which he dips his fingers, having found it in the refrigerator. Arnie tries to run away from his bath, but in his frustration, Gilbert finally snaps, hitting Arnie several times. Guilty and appalled at himself, Gilbert flees, driving away in his truck.

Arnie runs to Becky, who takes care of him for the evening and helps him overcome his aquaphobia until he is picked up by his sisters. After some soul-searching, aided by Becky, Gilbert returns home during Arnie's 18th birthday party to make amends to his family for running out, and to receive Arnie's reluctant forgiveness. He also apologizes to his mother for his behavior, and vows not to be ashamed of her or let her be hurt anymore. She acknowledges how much of a burden she has become to the family, and he forgives her. Gilbert also introduces Bonnie to Becky, something he had been reluctant to do.

Following the party, Bonnie climbs the stairs to her bedroom to sleep in her bed for the first time since her husband's suicide. When Arnie tries to wake her, he discovers she has died. With no way to remove her body from the second floor, the police make plans to return with a crane the next day. The family instinctively knows there will be a crowd of people there to get a laugh instead of paying their respects. Wanting to keep her death from becoming a mockery, the family removes the furniture and belongings from the house, and Gilbert sets the house ablaze with Bonnie inside as a funeral pyre.

A year later, Amy has a job managing a bakery in the Des Moines area, while Ellen looks forward to switching schools and living in a bigger city. Gilbert waits by the side of the road with Arnie, whose 19th birthday is coming up, waiting for the tourist trailers to come by again. As part of the convoy, Becky arrives with her grandmother and picks them both up. Gilbert tells Arnie, "We can go anywhere."

Filming for What's Eating Gilbert Grape began on November 2, 1992, and concluded in late January 1993.^[1] It was shot in Texas, in various towns and cities; Austin and Pflugerville were primary locations, as well as Manor, where the water tower featured in the film was located.^[4] Corey Feldman has made claims that he was initially cast as Arnie, but was fired when Depp refused to work with him. These claims have never been substantiated. ^[5] Christian Bale was up for the part of Arnie, but lost to DiCaprio.^[6]

Film Review quoted Leonardo DiCaprio:

I had to really research and get into the mind of somebody with a disability like that. So I spent a few days at a home for mentally ill teens. We just talked and I watched their mannerisms. People have these expectations that mentally retarded children are really crazy, but it's not so. It's refreshing to see them because everything's so new to them.^[7]

The film had a limited release on December 17, 1993, and wide release on March 4, 1994.^[3] The wide release garnered $2,104,938 in its first weekend. It was considered a box-office bomb, with the total domestic gross for the film of $10,032,765, although it achieved greater success on home video.^[8]

The film received positive reviews, with many critics praising the performances by Depp and DiCaprio. The latter was singled out for his performance in the film, many saying DiCaprio stole the film from lead actor Depp. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film was given a 90% score, and an average rating of 7.40/10, based on 51 reviews. The site's consensus states: "It's sentimental and somewhat predictable, but those are small complaints, given the tender atmosphere and moving performances at the heart of What's Eating Gilbert Grape."^[9] Metacritic calculated an average score of 73 out of 100, based on 20 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.^[10]

The New York Times film critic Janet Maslin praised DiCaprio's performance, writing, "The film's real show-stopping turn comes from Mr. DiCaprio, who makes Arnie's many tics so startling and vivid that at first he is difficult to watch... The performance has a sharp, desperate intensity from beginning to end."^[11]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times described it as "one of the most enchanting films of the year", and said DiCaprio deserved to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for which he was nominated.^[12]

Todd McCarthy of Variety found the film a "bemused view on life", and remarked that "Depp manages to command center screen with a greatly affable, appealing characterization".^[13]

The Washington Post's Desson Howe thought that the film was an earnest but highly predictable effort.^[14]

Film Review praised Leonardo DiCaprio as the mentally disabled brother, calling it "a performance of astonishing innocence and spontaneity", bringing "a touching credibility to a very difficult part".^[7]

The film was released as a "special collector's edition" DVD from Paramount on June 20, 2006.^[26] The edition includes an audio commentary by director Lasse Hallström and writer Peter Hedges, as well as the featurettes, "The Characters of Gilbert Grape", "The Voice of Gilbert Grape" and "Why We Love Gilbert Grape".

It received a Blu-ray release on August 16, 2022.^[27]

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