What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

For November’s theme of COMFORT FOOD we’re discussing the heartfelt fare of our moviegoing past as well as the sweet inspiration that is often found in movies where actors are portraying characters with intellectual disabilities. This discussion kinda goes both ways but we won’t say it’s overtly sweet. It may actually be one of the better portrayals of the sincerity and depression of a small town in the United States. Gilbert Grape? What’s eating him? Everything. He’s played by Johnny Depp and his brother,Arnie, is intensely played by a young Leonardo DiCaprio and this character is easily our most mentally challenged of the month. Not much to clown here but the focus doesn’t sit solely on DiCaprio’s shoulders as there is a good cast and story surrounding him. A big difference from our other “challenged” discussions. Once again, Europeans explain our culture to us in Lasse Hallstrom’s 1993 melancholy “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” and it stars a mess of talented people not the least of which being Darlene Cates who was cast after going on the Sally show and talking about her extreme weight gain and how she hadn’t left the house in 5 years. Hear us tell of it and learn about the Elmer Fudd effect. We can teach you so much. Just give your mind over to us. Subscribe to us on YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJf3lkRI-BLUTsLI_ehOsg Contact us here: [email protected] Hear us on podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6o6PSNJFGXJeENgqtPY4h7 Our OG podcast “Documenteers”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/documenteers-the-documentary-podcast/id1321652249 Soundcloud feed: https://soundcloud.com/documenteers Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/culturewrought