What's Eating Gilbert Grape (What's Eating Gilbert Grape)

Production and year: USA, 1993 Genre: Drama Screenplay: Peter Hedges Director: Lasse Hallström Music: Alessandro Cicognini Cast: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis Medical topics: intellectual disability, obesity Description: The film is set in a small American town, far from the big world. Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), a teenager who finds nothing interesting in this reality, leads a simple and boring life, working as a clerk in a grocery store. He has to take care of his younger brother, Arnie, who has an intellectual disability but is a very active child, which means he gets into trouble all the time. Young Leonardo DiCaprio gave a sensational performance in this role, masterfully portraying the boy’s disability. However, his brother isn’t Gilbert’s only problem, as his mother is morbidly obese—literally confined to her couch at home because of her weight, which prevents her from moving. The boy’s only chance for a change in his life is the arrival of an intriguing girl for vacation in his hometown. The film is worth watching if only to see the picture that opened the doors to Hollywood for the young Depp and DiCaprio.