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Gilbert Grape: Movie Analysis

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In the small town of Endora, Iowa, Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) is given the responsibility of caring for Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), his brother who is mentally challenged. The movie opens with the two waiting for the many tourists' trailers to pass through town during an annual Airstreamer's Club, that they watch every year. His mother, Bonnie (Darlene Cates), gained a massive amount of weight after her husband killed himself in the basement of the home they still live in. With nothing to do but eat and watch TV Bonnie went from the most beautiful woman in Endora to nearly five hundred pounds. Bonnie being unable to care for the household, Gilbert becomes plagued with the responsibilities of repairing the old house and looking after Arnie, while his sisters Amy (Laura Harrington) and Ellen (Mary Kate Schellhardt) finish what Gilbert can’t. With Arnie always getting into trouble he is quite a handful, his favorite thing to do when he gets the chance is to climb up the towns water tower. Each time he makes the climb he gains a crowd, and only Gilbert can get him down. …show more content…

A beautiful woman named Becky (Juliette Lewis) is stuck in town with her grandmother when their truck breaks down while pulling their Airstream across the country with the Airstreamer’s club. As Gilbert slowly falls for Becky as following his grocery delivery to her, he starts to realize that because of his responsibilities, namely Arnie, he may not have a chance to have a romantic relationship and start a life of his own. This becomes apparent when he leaves Arnie in the tub alone so that he could watch the sun set with Becky. The next morning as Gilbert is getting ready he notices Arnie is still in the tub, absolutely freezing. As he helps Arnie out of the tub he is filled with guilt and it becomes apparent that this is his life and Arnie is his

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Arnie kept running away and climbing the water tower so much that it later got him arrested. The mother has to leave the house for the first time in years and head down to the station to get her son back. They let her leave with Arnie, but when she walks outside she notices all the judgement and laughter at her weight, and reminds her why she never leaves her house. In Gilberts personal life, he finishes his romance with this older, married woman, when he meets a young, female, traveler name Becky. Gilbert starts catching feels for this girl but is constantly getting embarrassed around her by Arnies odd mannerisms.

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