Movie Commentary: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is a film focused on Gilbert Grape, a young adult who lives in the small town of Endora, Iowa. Gilbert, a son and a brother, lives in a family of five in a small run-down house built by his father. His mother, Bonnie, has grown morbidly obese after the suicide of her husband 7 years ago and she has not stepped out of the house since. Since his mother lacks the ability to physically move around, Gilbert is left with the responsibility of taking care of his younger brother Arnie, who is mentally retarded, and his two sisters Amy and Ellen. While Gilbert works at a small grocery store to support his dysfunctional family, he leads an empty life. He holds a love affair with Betty Carver, a woman twice his age whom he no longer seems interested in.

With the weight on his shoulders to take care of his family, Gilbert meets Becky, a young woman who gets stuck with her grandmother in Endora. As Becky and Gilbert spend more time together, the more he realizes that he leads an empty life and that there is much more to life that he wants to explore outside of his small town. As the day finally comes to celebrate Arnie’s 18th birthday, a day much emphasized, the mother Bonnie dies. With her weight being a problem, she needs a crane to lift her out of the house. To save their family from shame and embarrassment, Gilbert burns down the house. Gilbert is able to start a new life by moving out of Endora with Arnie and Becky.

Through the problem of supporting a dysfunctional family, Gilbert Grape struggles with finding his personal identity. The scene at the start of the film pans through all of his family members. While the camera focuses on each individual in the family, Gilbert narrates in a monotone voice and i...

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...that what he has is not what he wants in life. The frustration with his mundane life is released when he talks to Becky. When Becky holds conversations with Gilbert, she constantly talks about worldly matters such as how big the sky is and other topics that make Gilbert think differently about the world. Becky is also able to aid Gilbert with his family by being a friend to Arnie and help him overcome his fear of water. The fact that Becky is willingly able to take part in such a shamed family truly touches Gilbert’s heart.

Although the death of Gilbert’s mother Bonnie symbolizes his freedom from taking care of the house, Becky is the main external factor that helps him cope with finding his identity and taking steps toward a new life. Becky is able to help him cope with his social and emotional angst by helping him discover what he really wants for himself in life.