What's Eating Gilbert Grape

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 American coming-of-age film that also features an Oscar-nominated performance by a young Leonardo DiCaprio. The script was written by Peter Hedges (father of noted actor Lucas Hedges) and is based on his 1991 novel of the same name. Filming took place in a number of locations around Texas. It's a beautiful picture about compassion, caring, and self-awareness set in the fictional working-class community of Endora.

The story follows Ellen and Amy Grape, their two brothers Arnie and Gilbert, and their morbidly obese widowed mother Bonnie Grape, as they try to cope with the loss of a father figure, a low-wage job, and seventeen-year-old Arnie's serious mental illness. The film was well-received, and while DiCaprio, who was 19 at the time, won his first Academy Award and Golden Globe nods, it was Depp who carried the film as successfully. His portrayal of the ambivalent elder brother was compelling.

Detailed Information:
Directed by: Lasse Hallström
Starring: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen
Release date: December 17, 1993

Running time: 118 minutes