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And behind door number nine... some dazzling musical delights
The complete arts guide, for week 9
Way before Titanic was even a glint in James Cameron’s eye, his future leading man was already on the path to glory. Many people forget that Leonardo DiCaprio earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars for his performance as Arnie, a young man with learning difficulties being cared for by his older brother Gilbert (Johnny Depp). While Gilbert is the focus of the film, as the title suggests, DiCaprio steals the film in a role that is miles from pretty boy Jack Dawson.
Gilbert Grape is a guy with a lot on his mind – as well as caring for his younger brother Arnie, he is also the main breadwinner for his family. His father is not on the scene, and his obese mother is confined to the sofa, so he and his siblings run the house and earn the money to keep the family going. When Becky, a girl travelling with her grandmother, is forced to stop in Gilbert’s town when their camper breaks down, Gilbert begins to form a relationship that might compromise his role within his family. It sounds like a TV weepy, but the performances and the script elevate it above its premise.
Depp has never been one to go for the crowd-pleasers, and this film isn’t exactly action-packed. But it’s filled with drama about ordinary people, the people that society turns away from, and is poignant in all the right places. Juliette Lewis shines as free-spirit Becky who helps Gilbert take some of the weight of the world off his shoulders. The supporting cast is also full of solid talent, with Mary Steenburgen as a bored housewife with whom Gilbert is having an affair, and John C. Reilly as Gilbert’s friend always looking to make a quick buck.
Depp’s voiceover, in soft and dulcet tones, perfectly encapsulates the numbing atmosphere of his small, remote town; as Gilbert says, “Living in Endora is like dancing to no music.” Unusually for Depp he is playing the straight man, like the only sane person in an asylum. It is a refreshing reminder that before the extravagance of the Mad Hatter and Willy Wonka, Depp also excelled at restraint. It’s also nice to hear him speaking in his own voice.
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? offers no easy solutions, but then again neither does life. It may be eccentric in its own understated way, but it is probably one of Depp’s most realistic films. And if you want to challenge the idea that DiCaprio only really started acting with The Beach, then What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? will do just that.
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