What's Eating Gilbert Grape Poster
MOVIEmeter
Top 5000
Down 347 this week

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

12 118 min  -  Drama | Romance  -   4 March 1994 (USA)
7.7
Your rating:
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 -/10 X  
Ratings: 7.7/10 from 82,065 users  
Reviews: 247 user | 51 critic

Gilbert has to care for his brother Arnie and his obese mother, which gets in the way when love walks into his life.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Peter Hedges (novel), Peter Hedges (screenplay)
 Loading+Watchlist

Watch now

Buy it from Amazon »
LOVEFiLM

Related Lists

image of title
a list of 250 titles by whitethomas61 created 20 Mar 2011
 
image of title
a list of 250 titles by Abdulmajeed created 29 Apr 2011
 
image of title
a list of 500 titles by Igor Balashov created 06 Jan 2011
 
image of title
a list of 1,177 titles by dev_leo created 4 months ago
 
image of title
a list of 24 titles by justinoldewurtel created 4 months ago
 

Connect with IMDb


Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 1 nomination See more awards »
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp ...
Leonardo DiCaprio ...
Juliette Lewis ...
Becky
Mary Steenburgen ...
Betty Carver
Darlene Cates ...
Bonnie Grape
Laura Harrington Laura Harrington ...
Amy Grape
Mary Kate Schellhardt ...
Ellen Grape
Kevin Tighe Kevin Tighe ...
Ken Carver
John C. Reilly ...
Crispin Glover ...
Bobby McBurney
Penelope Branning Penelope Branning ...
Becky's Grandma
Tim Green ...
Mr. Lamson
Susan Loughran Susan Loughran ...
Mrs. Lamson
Robert B. Hedges Robert B. Hedges ...
Minister
Mark Jordan Mark Jordan ...
Todd Carver
Edit

Storyline

What's Eating Gibert Grape is a beautifully shot movie of tenderness, caring and self-awareness that is set amongst the fictional working class one street town Endora. Centred around the Grape family Ellen and Amy and their two brothers Arnie and Gilbert, who, along with their morbidly obese widowed mother Bonnie Grape are striving to survive and coexist with the absence of a father figure, low wage work and seventeen-year-old Arnie's severe mental condition. It is in this awkward and extremely one sided affair that the unfortunate Gilbert has to constantly, while working for the town's slowly dying Convenience Store, take care of his younger brother Arnie. Gilbert's life, his future, is thwarted he know this, but it is in this Guardian Angel that his love and bond for Arnie cannot, and will not, be let go. That is until the free spirit of Becky arrives in town, and with her grandmother are stranded for the week while waiting for parts for their vehicle... Written by Cinema_Fan  

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Arnie: Tomorrow's my birthday, I'm gonna have a party and you're not invited. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for elements of mature subject matter See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
Edit

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

(USA) See more »

Also Known As:

¿A quién ama Gilbert Grape? See more »

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA See more »

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$9,170,214 (USA)
See more »

Company Credits

Show detailed company contact information on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby  | Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Johnny Depp felt bad about having to ridicule Darlene Cates's character "Momma" and would often apologize to her after shooting. Depp once said to Cates, "Man, I want you to know how much I hated having to say those things about you, or about your character." See more »

Goofs

Continuity: When Gilbert and Becky kiss in the trailer, her head is tilted to the right; between shots it becomes tilted to the left See more »

Quotes

Arnie: Match in the gas tank, *boom* *boom*!
See more »

Connections

Featured in "20 to 1: Hollywood's Hot List (#8.14)" (2009) See more »

Soundtracks

"This Magic Moment"
by Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman
Performed by The Manor High School Marching Band See more »