Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

What's Eating Gilbert Grape Blu-ray Movie Review

A classic '90s heart-warmer earns an excellent Blu-ray release...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown December 12, 2023

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.

Leonardo DiCaprio gives a star-making performance in this classic coming-of-age story from director Lasse Hallström ('Chocolat') featuring Johnny Depp and Juliette Lewis. Set in the small town of Endora, Iowa, where living is "like dancing to no music," grocery store clerk Gilbert Grape (Depp) is challenged by the day-to-day responsibility of caring for his 500-pound, shut-in mother (Darlene Cates) and younger brother Arnie (DiCaprio), a sweet boy with intellectual disabilities. (The currently accepted term. For those who find "retarded" to be a trigger word may have a difficult time watching 'What's Wrong with Gilbert Grape?') When it seems nothing will ever break the repeating monotony of smalltown life and caretaking challenges, a beautiful stranger named Becky (Juliette Lewis) captures Gilbert's heart and inspires him to think of life beyond Endora. Based on 'About a Boy', 'Dan In Real Life' and 'Pieces of April' screenwriter Peter Hedges novel of the same name, the movie also stars Laura Harrington, Mary Steenburgen, John C. Reilly, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Kevin Tighe and Crispin Glover.

I wish there was a way to capture in words the richness, hope and warmth that What's Eating Gilbert Grape exudes. It's a slowburn dramedy, and it doesn't feel the need to rush anywhere, much like the residents of Endora. Instead it takes its time, step by step, to help its audience develop a palpable relationship with its characters. We feel genuine anger but affection towards Momma, and question whether she is the source of her own imprisonment. We feel frustration but a deep empathy for Arnie. His misadventures draw our attention and we don't know how anyone could help him, but we know we love him, want the best for him, and see his value, whether others always do or not. We're intrigued by Becky, drawn to her alien perspectives of things outside of Endora, which we've already come to think of as the entire world that the Grapes can explore for some reason. And we're amused by the fondness we feel for Amy, Ellen, Tucker and Bobby, because they complete our inner circle despite their flaws and shortcomings. They're as much a part of our family as anyone, whether their last name is Grape or not. Wait, when did we get adopted by the Grapes? That's the warmth I'm talking about. That sense that you're apart of a cinematic tribe that's purely fiction, yet so real and so worthy of your adoration that, in some small ways, you forget you're watching a movie.

Forget Depp's recent controversies. He was a finer, more engaging actor in his early years anyway. Forget DiCaprio's more serious roles and look more closely at his portrayal of Arnie. It isn't nearly as silly and spontaneous as it seems. Watch his face, his eyes, the brief flickers of Arnie's deepest thoughts. DiCaprio is a master, even at this point in his then-young career. This is a man who you can see will one day accept Oscars and deliver terrific performances. Pay attention to a young Lewis's screenwork, even in what could be a thankless role. Glover and Reilly's comic relief. The sadness that haunts Cates's stagnancy; a stillness, trapped in her own home, that had to have hit very close to home for the enormous actress. Or the emotional weight of Amy and Ellen's burden, taking care of things around the house as Gilbert lives life working to support the family, chasing Arnie through town, and trying to connect with Becky, who threatens to inspire him to leave a family that desperately needs him. The complexities of the various relationships and the innate conflict within each one creates such obstacles that only the warmth of true bonds can work through, work around and work within.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape? asks the film's central question right in its title, and the thing that's bothering Gilbert is an age old question: should I hoist my family on my shoulders and hold them up, or should I strike out on my own, following a path that leads me to personal happiness but leaves them at a disadvantage? What a conundrum. What a movie. What characters. What a story. And all of it feels timeless, or stuck in time perhaps. Frozen. What's Eating Gilbert Grape? has barely aged a day, other than in its verbiage when labeling Arnie's disabilities or Momma's challenges. It's a '90s film that doesn't play like a '90s film, and I've come to adore it even more over the years for its universality and timelessness.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - Director Lasse Hallström and writer Peter Hedges discuss the film at length, its casting and performances, finding Endora in the real world, production challenges and more.

• Featurettes (SD) - Three rather self-explanatory archive featurettes are included: "The Characters of Gilbert Grape" (11 minutes), "The Voice of Gilbert Grape" (6 minutes) and "Why We Love Gilbert Grape" (8 minutes).

• Original Theatrical Trailer

What's Eating Gilbert Grape Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

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.