Underplayed Gems

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape poster
Directed by
Lasse Hallström
Genre
drama film, comedy film, coming-of-age film
Country
United States
Runtime
1h 58m
Rated
PG-13
Rating
7.7 of 10 from 4,322 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young grocery store clerk in a small Iowa town takes care of his family, including his morbidly obese mother and his mentally disabled younger brother. His life is routine and exhausting until a free-spirited woman passes through town and changes his perspective.

melancholicgentlepoignantlow-keyobservantbittersweetintimateslow-paced

What happens

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio and John C. Reilly. It follows a grocery store clerk living with his dysfunctional family, including his obese mother, his mentally disabled younger brother and two sisters in the fictional rural town of Endora, Iowa. Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay, based on his 1991 novel. Filming took place from November 1992 to January 1993 in various parts of Texas. The film was well received, with Depp's and DiCaprio's performances garnering critical acclaim. At age 19, DiCaprio received his first nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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