It's as fascinating to see DiCaprio before he became a bona fide star as it is to watch Depp at the very moment he cemented his reputation for coolness.
Comment
06/19/09
What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
90
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:40
Fresh:36
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7.5/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 8 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Bizarre, whimsical, and touching scenes mark WHAT'S EATING GILBERT GRAPE. Johnny Depp is Gilbert, the eldest brother in a large family of a very large (morbidly obese, actually) mother (Darlene... [More]
Starring: Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Reviews for What's Eating Gilbert Grape
Top CriticHallström's finally struck a chord with the Americans, though it's much the same cocktail of whimsy and worry, the eccentric and the banal, that he's been mixing all along.
02/11/06
Top CriticNo review available.
07/01/05
Well-written (albeit a little too long) and competently acted.
01/01/00
A quirky study of altruism that It shows how love in a family context can be transformed and renewed again and again.
12/08/01
Suggests that the true heroes are those people who day by day must tend to misfits, and do so with love, tenacity and a determination not to go terminally sour in the process.
06/19/09
Top CriticOne of the most enchanting movies of the year.
01/01/00
Top CriticThere is not much plot to speak of, but the film instead presents a moody, elegiac atmosphere of longing and desperation that is powerfully tangible ....
07/10/07
There is a warmth and wit and insightfulness here that brings the film significantly up a few notches from the usual fare on this subject, and the performances are all excellent.
01/01/00
There is a good idea for a movie hiding here, but Halstrom has buried it beneath a load of charmless shtick.
01/01/00
It's expertly handled, well-written material that knows and understands its many different characters. There are moments in this film that cover the entire emotional spectrum, and not a second is wasted on insincere emotion, making it a real winner.
02/27/01
A story that could easily have been mishandled by making Gilbert too sugary noble, but Hedges and Hallstrom create characters of depth and resonance.
01/01/00
Hallstrom finds the right bittersweet tone for his dysfunctional family tale (and one of Hollywood's few films about obesity), marvelously acted by Johnny Depp and particularly Leonardo DiCaprio in his second outing as a retarded adolescent.
06/29/07
Particularly impressive are the sweet, weirdly idyllic tone of Mr. Hallstrom's direction and Johnny Depp's tender, disarming performance as the long-suffering Gilbert Grape.
05/20/03
Top CriticSwedish director Lasse Hallstrom and his fine cast have endowed the story with a good deal of behavioral truth and unstressed comedy.
02/13/01
Top CriticOn the strength of DiCaprio and Depp's performances, What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a fantastic look at the anachronisms of small-town life and the myriad problems of coping with a go-nowhere existence.
11/23/01
A fantastic look at the anachronisms of small-town life and the myriad problems of coping with a go-nowhere existence.
11/23/01
Depp's sincere, subtle performance is certainly a big reason for the movie's success...
07/15/06
DiCaprio is perfect to the last twitch and squeal, and anyone who has ever spent time with mentally challenged kids will be hard-pressed to spot a flaw.
01/01/00
First, the good part. There is a 20 second clip of an architecturally interesting courthouse. The rest of the show is either boring or unbearably depressing.
01/01/00
Latest News for What's Eating Gilbert Grape
September 15, 2005:
That Crazy Carell Lands Yet Another New Gig
According to Variety, the suddenly VERY busy "40 Year-Old Virgin" Steve Carell has signed with Disney to star in Peter Hedges' comedy "Dan in Real Life,"... More...
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