Whats Eating Gilbert Grape

Curwick, “Brian”

Eng 101

20 July 2010

Prof Isbell

Just How Many Milligrams of Prilosec Does

One Dose of Becky Provide

As we watch the film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Lasse Hallström film’s title itself begs the question, its own question ever so simply. Gilbert Grape’s family as Gilbert describes them himself, as a whole they are so similar to how Gilbert describes his hometown of Endora, Iowa, “a town where nothing happens, and nothing ever will.” Not only is Gilbert’s family is on a liner path towards nowhere, Gilbert is no different; he is stuck in a rut, no matter how functional, a rut nonetheless. Viewers see this, and begin to ask themselves, when is Gilbert going to do something to achieve some positive changes in his life. After very careful examination of this film (maybe several viewings) a studious viewer begins to realize that which prevents Gilbert from acceding to his full potential, or as Maslow puts it Self-Actualization (cite). Which is, Gilbert Grape is being eaten alive by the realization despite his undying love and dedication, and even with him having honorably acted as the Grape Family father figure/caretaker; Gilbert has missed out on developing the skills that a young man normally should acquires during his childhood and teenage years and into his early twenty’s. Furthermore, He fears that his undying devotion to his family may never allow him to obtain those skills he has missed out on nor have a normal life. Lastly, he also realizes the depression, which killed his father, is also eating at him and hates the prospect of being hung out in the basement like his father.

Gilbert wakes up and begins to see this revelation through the eyes of Becky, a traveling young woman who pauses during her current journey with her grandmother Nana while they are traveling in a caravan that is ritually observed each year by brothers Gilbert & Arnie Grape. When her grandmother Nana’s International Harvester SUV suffers carburetor troubles, they...