Rating: 
Summary: BEST FILM OF 93!
Review: I truly love this movie.It can be emotional one minute and funny the next.It is very well directed and written.A terrific cast all around.The BEST film of 1993 and one of the best films of the 90's.See this movie as soon as you can.
Rating:
Summary: the best movie i have seen in 15 years-i'm 15 years old
Review: What's Eating Gilbert Grape is the most spectacular motion picture ever made. I have watched it so many times, I have it memorized. Seriously, give me any scene and I'll recite it for you. It is so deep and meaningful. My brother and I sit around reciting scenes from the movie for our entertainment. We decided that it has every good quality that a movie should have: humor, drama, romance, violence, profanity, nudity, etc. If you are ever in the mood to see a freakishly outstanding movie, consider this one. Words cannot express the way I feel after watching this movie. You'll have to watch it for yourself. If you have any appreciation for a true work of art, you'll watch this movie. Take it from me- I've seen it thousands of times and it never ceases to take my breath away.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best film ever made
Review: This so-so film isn't really anything special. It's somewhat depressing and anoying. Many of the characters are sadly [bad] and disgusting. Gilbert's overweight mother and mentally challenged brother are realistic, but not interesting. Considering Gilbert's family and the town he lives in, it's no surprise that he wants out. What's Eating Gilbert Grape, presents some good acting and an understanding of the human condition; but, other than that, this film probably is not worth its price.
Rating:
Summary: ...This is a beautiful film!
Review: ..."Gilbert Grape" is a brilliant film. It IS a slice of life (as many reviewers write...), so what is the "something significant" he expects? The "significance" is evident in every scene of the film and perfectly captured in its title. This film has that quirky, dysfunctional-family, slice of life to which we can all relate. Yet, without dragging itself into the popular raunchy side of family problems, "Grape" taps into emotions, values and quaint small-town American culture like no other film has ever done. And it is not trite like many films about small-town, mobile-home America. The "significance" is a film about "real life" without drowning the story in syrupy, Hollywood drama in order to make it SEEM real, as most popular dramas do.The positive reviews you may have read in Amazon.com have nailed the important aspects. DiCaprio is an over-rated actor in almost everything most people like him in, but his under-rated role in this picture blows away even the convincing performance of Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. If I hadn't known who DiCaprio was, I might not have known this was acting. ... Also, as other reviews point out ..., there are other spectacular performances besides DiCaprio's. The cast is one of those refreshingly diverse and relatively unknown kind that comes together better than any All-star brat-pak. The music fits and flows very well and adds the icing to cake. The writing literally makes the characters of Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis, and provides a subtlely brilliant intro and conclusion. If you're not into drab, mushy dramas, but you like a good story in a quality-made film - this could be the perfect fit for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Action flick? No. Good film? Yes.
Review: Although this film may not entertain the masses, it has qualities that make this a great film. Not only does Hollywood attempt to deliver a message they attempt to do so while pitting to great actors with each other. Leonardo and the legendary Johnny Depp, make a fantastic acting duo. You can read all about the film through the reviews here, but I will honestly tell you this is a good film to see and just possible own. I have added to my collection due to the fact I've become star struck each time I see a Johnny Depp film. Each time he is doing something completely different than the last character wise. But acting wise he always the best.
Rating:
Summary: Finds its complexity within its simplicity.
Review: Some people will grumble about the excessive absence of anything spectacular in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," a slice of life comedy/drama that takes us to a place where no one is special, no one is famous, nothing is large-scale, and simple is all the rage. Nothing particularly interesting happens to the characters we meet, nothing explodes and no one gets shot at; life simply goes on. And that's the beauty of Lasse Hallström's gloriously simplistic film: nothing gets in the way, allowing us to get to know the characters in ways that no other movie can provide. As the world of cinema expands, getting bigger and more complex everyday, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" feels like a small miracle, a great American film that captures life at its most joyous and its most depressing. In one of the best performances of his career, Johnny Depp plays Gilbert Grape, a young man who can't seem to see the joy in his life. His career at the local market, a small mom-and-pop store that has seen suffering sales as a result of the new supermarket outside of town, is less than satisfying; he is having an affair with a married woman, who becomes scornful when Gilbert takes an interest in Becky (Juliette Lewis) a young girl traveling across the country with her grandmother in whom he sees a spark of the wonder of life. It is his family life, however, that becomes bothersome to him. His mother, who weighs 500 pounds and has not left the house in seven years, constantly puts him to work taking care of his brother, Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), who suffers from mental retardation. There are times when this family experiences moments of happiness, which is crossed with moments of angst and bickering, all of which builds up to the point that Gilbert cannot stand another minute of his family. And this is pretty much the plot of the movie; you may never find one more simplistic than this, or one more moving. There is a blunt truthfulness in its approaches to the issues of mental retardation and obesity: the other children of the town pick on Arnie for being different, and his mother's obesity, a result of depression from her husband's passing, is the talk of the town. Yet, these traits are embraced by the audience rather than made into an object of laughter: Arnie possesses a certain childlike charm that quickly catches on, while his mother is a warm-hearted, endearing woman with a gentle, maternal soul. The film's focus on the characters is in its favor, giving us a chance to get to know their lives and the frustrations they must face each day. For Gilbert, referring to his mother as a "beached whale" is an everyday thing, while putting up with Arnie's disappearing and climbing to the top of the town water tower is a regular event. In his face, we see the hidden angst, the wanting in him that cries out to break free and leave what he has known all of his life for something, anything different, though not necessarily better. He finds this in Becky, with whom he shares a warm relationship that opens his eyes and makes him realize that leaving his family behind is not the answer. These realizations and small glimpses of reality are brought to life under some striking performances, from a cast composed of stars and first-time actors. Depp brings out the subtle expressions and feelings of confusion and wanting in Gilbert with supreme impact; DiCaprio delivers equally powerful acting as Arnie, creating a character that we first want to consider annoying, but in the end, have come to care for. Newcomer Darlene Cates steals the show as Gilbert's mother, filling her with true emotional depth that gives us a reason to feel sorrow for her. With this talented cast and a story that gains its complexity from its simplicity, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" is not a blockbuster or an epic, yet its juxtaposition of sorrow and happiness is endearing and warm, and its focus on people rather than spectacle is astounding. There is a subtle brilliance that bleeds from this film's story, one that is rarely seen in movies of today; any lover of good movies won't find a better film.
Rating:
Summary: THOROUGHLY ENJOYABLE
Review: What's Eating Gilbert Grape? Plenty! A simple, beautifully told story of family loyalty and brotherly love. I was thoroughly impressed by the performance of Leo DiCaprio - I thought that he definitely should have WON the Oscar - he was nominated - for his beautiful playing of Arnie! DiCaprio plays Depp's little retarded brother in such an utterly convincing and realistic way that one is captivated by the subtlety and amazing naturalness of talented DiCaprio's playing. Johnny Depp is excellent as usual as Arnie's concerned big brother (the title character) and Juliette Lewis (with a bad hair-day!) is adequate as Becky, the girl who wants to know what makes him tick. Darlene Cates does very well as the housebound (due to obesity) mother. I just think that Di Caprio's playing should be seen because it is deserving of kudos galore - his performance is like a lesson in screen acting!
Rating:
Summary: Refreshing
Review: This beautifully crafted film is a welcome change from the run-of-the-mill Hollywood movie. As a person who is quite familiar with autistic and other mentally handicapped people, I think DiCaprio makes Dustin Hoffman in Rainman look like an actor in a high school play. DiCaprio is 100% convincing, and captures the essence of many very special people. Every character in this movie are gems. Poor Gilbert. He got caught shopping at FoodLand.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is one of my favorite films of all time. It's beautifully filmed and acted. Depp being the lead character of the title. He is so incredibly gifted, he has played different kinds of characters. Straying from the stereotypes, he just shines in everything he does.
Gilbert Grape lives in a small town, he has two younger sisters, a retarded brother, played brilliantly by Leonardo Dicaprio, and a morbidly obese mother. Gilbert is the father figure in this film, and he has little chance to just be himself for awhile. He always seems to be the one taking care of his brother, ARnie, while his sisters complain about him. He is just going through life, working at the local grocery store, and fooling around with a married woman, played quite well by Mary Steenbergen.
Then enter Becky, played cooly by Juliette Lewis. She is a perfect match for Gilbert, and although she is only stopping by for a few days, you can see she will forever stay with Gilbert in his heart.
This is not a very happy movie. It certainly has a few laughs, but it is rather serious, and takes a rather sad turn. But it is a beautiful story, and worth watching.
Rating:
Summary: It's about time this movie made it to DVD!
Review: This movie is one that I've been waiting on for some time. This film features Leonardo DiCaprio's Oscar nominated best-supporting actor role - which by the way makes the movie. Johnny Depp and the rest of the cast do a terrific job as well. This is one of those slice of life films that really draws you in. I highly recommend this title.
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