DVD Collectors Online

What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a review by Antares

What's Eating Gilbert Grape





Year: 1993
Film Studio: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Drama, Romance
Length: 118 Min.

Director
Lasse Hallström (1946)

Writing
Peter Hedges (1962)...Novel "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?"
Peter Hedges (1962)...Screenplay

Producer
Alan C. Blomquist
Lasse Hallström (1946)
David Matalon
Bertil Ohlsson
Meir Teper

Cinematographer
Sven Nykvist (1922)

Music
Björn Isfält (1942)...Composer
Alan Parker (1944)...Composer

Stars
Johnny Depp (1963) as Gilbert Grape
Leonardo DiCaprio (1974) as Arnie Grape
Juliette Lewis (1973) as Becky
Mary Steenburgen (1953) as Betty Carver
Darlene Cates (1947) as Bonnie Grape
Laura Harrington (1958) as Amy Grape
Mary Kate Schellhardt (1978) as Ellen Grape
Kevin Tighe (1944) as Ken Carver

Review
       1993 was a banner year for filmmaking. One could say that Hollywood and film companies around the world were vying for the prestige associated with making intelligent, well written film projects. In a year that saw the releases of stellar films such as The Piano, Schindler’s List, In the Name of the Father, Shadowlands and The Remains of the Day, one great film with the year’s greatest acting performance, would be sort of lost in the shuffle of these remarkable movies. Directed by Lasse Hallström, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape would find its own audience with the art house crowd that thrived upon films rich in substance. Set in the heartland, its spins a tale of a disillusioned young man coping with the unwanted responsibilities thrust upon him by his family. Starring Johnny Depp as the title character, Gilbert Grape, the film truly belongs to an up and coming young actor who, unfortunately, would make his biggest splash (no pun intended) a few years later in the mega-film Titanic.

       In 1993, Leonardo DiCaprio was an unknown nineteen year old actor with just two films under his belt. With his turn as Arnie, the autistic younger brother of Gilbert, DiCaprio would receive his first Academy Award nomination for his exemplary performance in this film. Every moment his character is onscreen, you can’t help but keep your attention focused on him. The small ticks, twitches and vocal murmurings of a person born with this mental deficiency, seem to come as second nature to DiCaprio. In the end, his loss to Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive) in the Best Supporting Actor category is one the greatest examples of how the voting of Academy members is so removed from reality some years.

       Gilbert Grape is a young twenty-something living in the sleepy, dreary and dusty mid-western town of Endora. He lives day-to-day with the burden of being the eldest son of a woman whose obesity has made her somewhat of a curiosity and the laughingstock of the town. Heaped upon his shoulders is the responsibility of caring for his mentally challenged brother, who tends to insert himself into what could become dangerous situations, thus assuring the intervention of police and fire personnel who are fed up with his antics. With the patriarch of the family long since departed after abandoning his family, Gilbert has assumed the man of the house responsibilities and by his mid-twenties has had enough. He sees his life drifting aimlessly through time and when he meets a young girl who is stranded in town waiting for her grandmother’s car to be repaired, he gets his first taste of true romance. Knowing that his new love will soon move on after the car is fixed; he faces the quandary that fate has now placed him in. Whether to stay and face a life of tedium and slow descent into manic depression or to forgo his family and steal away with his new love for parts unknown and the hope of happiness.

       From beginning to end, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is an interesting window into the world of a young man’s disenchantment with his surroundings. Never for a moment does it descend into a preachy pathos that would make it unbearable to watch. The performances by the entire cast are first rate, with of course, the special nod to DiCaprio. I can highly recommend this film to anyone who unabashedly appreciates stories that are entertaining as well as thought provoking. Give it a chance, if only to witness DiCaprio’s amazing performance.


Review Criterion
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.
4 ½ Stars - Not quite an immortal film, yet a masterpiece in its own right.
4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.
3 ½ Stars - An entertaining film that’s fun or engaging to watch.
3 Stars – A good film that’s worth a Netflix venture.
2 ½ Stars - Borderline viewable.
2 Stars – A bad film that may have a moment of interest.
1 ½ Stars – Insipid, trite and sophomoric, and that's its good points.
1 Star – A film so vacuous, it will suck 2 hours from the remainder of your life.
½ Star - A gangrenous and festering pustule in the chronicles of celluloid.

(From What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) on May 4th, 2010)

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, a review by addicted2dvd

Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (2015/United States) IMDb |Trailer |Wikipedia | Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Andy Fickman Writing: Kevin James (Writer), Nick Bakay (Writer), Kevin James (1965) (Original Characters By), Nick Bakay (Original Characters By) Length: 94 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: 5.1, Audio Descriptive: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Thai: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish, Thai, Other

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Stars:
Kevin James as Paul Blart
Raini Rodriguez as Maya Blart
Neal McDonough as Vincent Sofel
Daniella Alonso as Divina Martinez
Eduardo Verastegui as Eduardo Furtillo

Plot:
After six years of keeping our malls safe, Paul Blart (Kevin James) has earned a well-deserved vacation. He heads to Vegas with his teenage daughter before she heads off to college. But safety never takes a holiday and when duty calls, Blart answers.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Digital Copy

This is the first time I have seen the sequel. I don't feel it was as good as the first one... but I was still able to enjoy it. I don't care for the way they got rid of Amy and Paul's mother... felt both solutions were way over the top. But over all... it was more of the same predictable slapstick comedy. Worth watching if you liked the first one.



(From April Fool-A-Thon on April 12th, 2016)

Grey's Anatomy Marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

5. Oh, The Guilt
The interns are invited to a "Morbidity and Mortality" session, which leads to guilty feelings among the staff. Derek and Addison outline the terms of their divorce while Izzie tries to decide what to do with her newfound wealth. Cristina and Burke work out a signal to keep his shaky hands a secret. A divorced couple who are "still stuck on each other" prove to be a challenge for the doctors.

My Thoughts:
This is a good, dramatic episode. And we have Izzy slowly making her way back into the hospital which I am glad to see since I always liked her on here.

My Rating:

6. Let The Angels Commit
When Izzie is cleared to return to work, she and Bailey are both challenged to prove themselves. Derek's visiting sister causes problems with Meredith. Alex is jealous when George is chosen to work with Addison on a very unique case, and Cristina's continued efforts to keep Burke's condition hidden create resentment with the rest of the interns.

My Thoughts:
Another good episode. Once again dealing mostly with the personal lives though it seems the series has gravitated to that being the main plot of the series.

My Rating:

7. Where The Boys Are
Derek invites Burke to accompany him on a camping trip, which leads to nearly every male at Seattle Grace coming along. George and Alex decide to settle their differences like men, which ends up putting Burke on the spot. Bailey confronts Cristina and demands to know what is being covered up. Izzie avoids meeting with her peer-counselor Sydney. Meredith and Mark treat a transsexual with breast cancer, and Addison deals with a difficult pregnant patient.

My Thoughts:
This is a good... but different type of episode. We see most the men doctors taking a camping/fishing trip. So it was kinda strange seeing these characters out in nature. But they did it well as they made it obvious that not all the characters were not that comfortable in this element.

My Rating:

8. Staring At The Sun
George is overwhelmed when his father is admitted as a patient, while Meredith is having an equally hard time with her mother. Alex and Izzie bond over a patient who refers to himself in the third person. Richard makes an important decision about his marriage, and Burke's condition becomes harder and harder to keep secret.

My Thoughts:
And once again... another good episode. I like where they are going with George's father in the hospital. It is a good character going through a tough time. I also like how he caught on to Dr. Burke's "secret". The doctors takes care of a little girl that got hit by an SUV that was backing out of a driveway. A good story... but I hate when stuff happen to little kids!

My Rating:

(From Grey's Anatomy Marathon on September 13th, 2009)