WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1994 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 6.9
Date Released: 3/4/93 (general) Running Length: 1:57 Rated: PG-13 (Mature themes, language)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Darlene Cates Director: Lasse Hallstrom Producers: Meir Teper, Bertil Ohlsson, and David Matalon Screenplay: Peter Hedges from his novel Music: Alan Parker and Bjorn Isfalt Released by Paramount Pictures
WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE, from renowned Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom (MY LIFE AS A DOG), is a grim tale about being trapped in Endora, Iowa, the self-proclaimed "End of the Line." Recounting the unhappy life of Gilbert Grape, the movie is not the kind of experience that many viewers are likely to find enjoyable. Even the humor--what little there is of it--is of the gallows variety.
Gilbert (Johnny Depp) has the weighty responsibility of assuming the role of father-figure in a dysfunctional family. His real dad is long dead, the victim of a suicide, and his exceptionally obese mother (Darlene Cates) is generally incapable of moving from the sofa where she spends most of her life. Gilbert's brain-damaged younger brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio) has to be constantly watched lest he climb to the top of a watertower and throw himself off. Away from home, Gilbert works in the local grocery store, hangs out with his friends, and carries on an affair with Better Carver (Mary Steenburgen), the wife of a local insurance salesman.
If you want to see someone who has it worse off than you, take a look at Gilbert Grape. Virtually nothing goes right for him, and that's the reason why, while the film is well-written (albeit a little too long) and competently acted (with one exception), GILBERT GRAPE is often an unpleasant experience. This is the kind of motion picture that can get a viewer squirming in his or her seat.
Gilbert is trapped, and this comes across with deafening volume through the wonderfully understated performance by Johnny Depp. We can see the walls of his life threatening to crush him--the grinding monotony of his job, the desperation of his affair, and the lack of freedom demanded by his home life. He is George to Leonardo DiCaprio's Lenny, and it doesn't take a literary genius to recognize the OF MICE AND MEN similarities.
Into all of this gnawing monotony comes a fresh face in the form of Juliette Lewis' Becky. Of course, Gilbert falls in love with her, and Arnie develops his own sort of crush. Like most of the characters in the film, what we see of Becky is vividly drawn, but there's not much depth to her. It's a full-color snapshot, but there's no way to tell what lies beyond the borders.
Part of the problem with Becky is Juliette Lewis. The young actress, who was so impressive in CAPE FEAR, has continuously turned in one-note performances since then. There's not a whole lot to differentiate any of her characters from the others, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that what we saw in her debut was the apex of her abilities. Since then, it's been all downhill, and GILBERT GRAPE represents a new low.
Leonardo DiCaprio is convincing as Arnie, even if his performance is, of necessity, over-the-top. For a more subtle and telling example of his skills, see THIS BOY'S LIFE. The rest of the cast handles their roles with aplomb, especially Mary Kate Schellhardt, who makes the most of limited screen time as Gilbert and Arnie's youngest sister, Ellen. Judging by the job she does here, Ms. Schellhardt has a lot of promise.
If you're in the mood to be cheered up, WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE? isn't the movie for you. The claustrophobia felt by Gilbert as his world slowly suffocates him is effectively translated to the audience. Had the film been a little better-focused, this could have been a devastating character study. As it is, it rambles a little too much. This leads to an uneven, albeit stark, examination of the life of one man trying desperately to escape a prison whose bars have been fashioned by fate out of responsibility.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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