7.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young man in a small Midwestern town struggles to care for his mentally-disabled younger brother and morbidly obese mother while attempting to pursue his own happiness.
Starring: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Darlene CatesComing of age | 100% |
Romance | 88% |
Melodrama | 53% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 2.0
English, English SDH, French
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Apologies that 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape' is just now getting a Blu-ray review. No excuses, only an explanation. Not only did the screener arrive
weeks late, it arrived at a time that we were swamped with other releases. It simply fell through the cracks. I know fans of the film, of which there
are many, were relying on a review to determine whether a purchase was a safe bet. I can tell you it is. The review is late but we appreciate your
patience and understanding.
This may devolve into a sappy review. Consider that your only warning. I love, and I mean love, Chocolat director Lasse Hallström and
About a Boy screenwriter Peter Hedges's What's Eating Gilbert Grape. I have for decades. I don't claim the next few sentences. The
late, great Roger Ebert, in his 4-star March 1994 review, long ago gave me the framework, in print, as to why the film works like it does. My
paraphrase, if you'll excuse the theft: the Grapes are a dysfunctional family that, in any other town, would be seen and derided as such. But in the
tiny borough of Endora, Iowa, they're just another family, struggling to make ends meet and overcome numerous challenges. Its that warmth, and the
further warmth that arrives with Gilbert's love interest Becky, that lifts the film on its waves, cresting at a point that tears flow, hearts are moved, and
a movie weaves its magic on an audience who falls in love with a family they might otherwise mock or overlook were that family to move in next door.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a story of learning, more and more each day, how to be a good human; how to love the unloved; how to dream
bigger and hug tighter. It could easily be dismissed as a sugary tear-jerker, but whether by casting, performances, music and cinematography, or
writing, Gilbert Grape is something more.
I can imagine Criterion swooping in one day, returning to the original film elements, inviting Hallström into the restoration bay and creating the be-all, end-all high definition release of What's Eating Gilbert Grape? However, in the meantime, you'd be hard pressed to imagine a presentation of the movie that looks much better the 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that Paramount offers with this release. Colors are bright and vibrant, nearly popping off the screen. Skintones are gorgeous, lifelike and graced with naturally rosy, flushed cheeks, warm sunbathed hues and lovely contrast leveling, which elsewhere gives us deep blacks and well-delineated shadows. I suspect a more extensive restoration might reveal more detail in darker areas of the image, but you have to really nitpick to criticize any of the scenes here. There is a hint of crushing from time to time that I chose to look past. Otherwise detail is quite remarkable. Grain is present and unobtrusive, fine textures are crisp, revealing and nicely resolved, and edge definition is clean and sharp. Not overly so, but just sharp enough to verify that the presentation has been minted from an already precision-crafted master. No blocking, banding or other anomalies either, so put any worry to bed. The Blu-ray release of What's Eating Gilbert Grape? is a fine one, worthy of a place in your collection.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? sounds great too, not that its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track manages to supersede the limitations of its original 1990s sound mix. Dialogue is clear and precise, always intelligible and never buried beneath music or other effects. The rear speakers offer a soft, subtle, ear-pleasing assortment of spatial elements, bolstering the acoustics of Gilbert's house, the open spaces of a noisy carnival, the serenity of a farmer's field at sunset... all of these moments and environments are convincing thanks to a soundfield teeming with pinpoint directionality and smooth channel pans. Will you be turning your head, convinced that birds and crickets have actually invaded your home theater? No, there's a '90s artificiality to the sound effects and their use in the soundscape. But get over it. It's a film from 1994. LFE output is solid and reliable, bolstering moments that call for it and elements like Gilbert's coughing, rattling pickup truck that need a bit of weight to sound more ragged and hefty than they might without. All told, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? doesn't offer the most amazing catalog surround experience you've ever heard. It does, however, rise above others and respect its original sound design thoroughly.
What's Eating Gilbert Grape? is a beloved '90s classic that a surprising number of filmfans have never seen. It's not the movie you expect, and what it does to you while watching it is not something you'll be prepared for. There's an infectious warmth and familial love in Gilbert Grape that I haven't felt in many other films. It moves and uplifts in ways that are difficult to describe but easy enough to feel if you let go and let Gilbert. Paramount's Blu-ray release is terrific as well, thanks to a striking video presentation, solid DTS-HD Master Audio track, and a decent assortment of extras. Highly recommended.
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Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
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