Critique: Film> Reviews.

It's quite easy to dismiss What's Eating Gilbert Grape? as being another cliché love story if you choose to judge the film purely for its tagline "a film about the love you find... in the last place you look." If you choose to venture deeper, beyond the fairytale publicity, you will find that this film is actually a lot more realistic than the headlines attempt to make out.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape? is a family story with plenty of surprises, based on the novel by Peter Hedges. Gilbert (Johnny Depp) is in charge of caring for his mentally handicapped brother, Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), while his sisters cook and clean for their 500-pound Mother (Darlene Cates). After the death of their Father a number of years ago, Gilbert has (reluctantly) been promoted to the male head of the Grape family. He also has to work at a local food store, and finds that he has very little time for himself; the only satisfaction he gets is from the affair he is having with a married woman (Mary Steenburgen).

After what feels like a slow-moving first hour, a young woman named Becky (Juliette Lewis) arrives on the scene. This is billed as the moment that will "turn Gilbert's life around", but it's actually a lot more subtle than that. Lewis, undoubtedly, is a beautiful woman, but she is styled in such a way that her character doesn't appear as some kind of eternal fantasy that we'd imagine being sent down from the heavens. Her hair is cut short, her clothes are baggy, and she lives in a trailer with her Mother ("The whole external beauty thing, you know…. It doesn't last. You know, so what? It's what you do that really matters," she says).

The rare moments that Gilbert and Becky spend together are neither overly romantic or overly exciting; they're just enjoyable. Depp and Lewis have a subtle onscreen chemistry that generally works well in developing what seems like a genuine relationship between the two characters. It's endearing, without ever being overly soppy or cheesy; this bond inspires Gilbert to appreciate the things he takes for granted in his life, and attain some self-worth.

The film's performances are very strong, indeed. DiCaprio, especially, playing the retarded younger brother, just proves how much of a talented actor he is. Admittedly, I found him a little difficult to watch at first, considering how authentic his performance was, but if you ever doubted his talent (I know I did) it's definitely worth checking back a few years here and witnessing one of his earlier performances. He earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for best supporting role (somehow losing out to Tommy-Lee Jones in The Fugitive).

Darlene Cates is also a stand out (and not just for her incredibly big exterior) as she brings an element of sensitivity to a character that many of us would admit to pitying on first sight. Finally, Depp is definitely very likable in his role as the quiet, empty individual, isolated by the small town in which he lives and by his family around him.

Overall, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? is an intriguing character drama, studying the lives of a number of different human beings that don't fit into the trend of normality. It may take a for you to settle into the film, but when you eventually do you'll be met by a very touching tale of human emotion, devoid of the usual condescending stereotypes of characters of similar appearance, which we see in a majority of other films.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.