What s Eating Gilbert Grape Essay - 1437 Words

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is based in a small town named Endora in 1993. This film presents the lives of the members in the Grape’s family as they develop and cope with daily tasks. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the mental development of each member in Grape’s family along with the people who they interact with in Endora. Developmental theories are then used to connect with the developmental themes in the film to obtain an integrated understanding of Grapes’ lives. Movie Overview Gilbert Grape, a 24-year-old grocery store clerk, lives in the small town Endora with his family. Gilbert takes care of his brother, Arnie, who has developmental disabilities. Their mother, Bonnie, who is suffering from depression, becomes morbidly obese after witnesses her husband’s suicide 14 years ago. Gilbert also has an older sister, Amy, and a younger sister Ellen. Due to their Bonnie’s condition which she is not able to take care of the family or herself, Gilbert, Amy and Ellen have taken the responsibilities of taking care Arnie. Arnie likes to hide on the roof or on the trees as he waits for Amy or Gilbert to look for him, and he also has a habit of climbing up the water tower in the town when he is left unsupervised for too long. Gilbert is the only person who knows how to successfully persuade Arnie to climb down from the tower without physical forces. On the other hand, Gilbert is having an affair with Betty Carver, who is the wife of Ken Carv er. Gilbert also has two closeShow MoreRelatedWhat s Eating Gilbert Grape? Essay1476 Words   |  6 Pages What’s Eating Gilbert Grape Sarah Chun New York University Abstract In Lasse Hallstrà ¶m’s film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?, the struggles of living with a mental illness is displayed through Arnie Grape, the protagonist’s younger brother. Grape’s disability is never discussed in the movie, as the movie focuses on Gilbert Grape, the principal character, and his struggles with life and family responsibilities. With the use of various resources, such as a psychology textbookRead MoreWhat s Eating Gilbert Grape?1510 Words   |  7 PagesWhat’s eating Gilbert Grape? People need to feel as though they have a choice in life in order to grow and develop as a person. Lasse Hallstrom in his film ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’ demonstrates through the protagonist, Gilbert Grape, the daunting feeling of being trapped and unable to move forward. Gilbert feels trapped by the responsibility for his family and by the town and people of Endora. Furthermore, Gilbert’s strong conscience does not allow him to move on. It isn’t until he is ableRead MoreWhat s Eating Gilbert Grape1541 Words   |  7 PagesWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 American drama film written by Peter Hedges and directed by Lasse Hallstrom. The film’s main characters are Johnny Depp as Gilbert Grape and Leonardo DiCaprio as Arnie Grape. The film depicts the burden of family caretaking and the affect it has on a family both mentally, physically, and financially. Gilbert is the primary caregiver for his mentally and developmentally disabl ed seventeen-year-old brother Arnie (who has the mental capacity of a young child), hisRead MoreWhat s Eating Gilbert Grape?884 Words   |  4 PagesIn the 1993 drama What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Leonardo DiCaprio plays Arnie Grape, a teenager with an intellectual disability. DiCaprio’s well-planned performance creates a believably realistic portrait of life for someone with autism and intellectual disability, showing the character’s own behaviors as well as reactions by family and community members. Arnie Grape exhibits many of the behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder as well as intellectual disability in a more general senseRead MoreWhat s Eating Gilbert Grape1512 Words   |  7 PagesWhat’s Eating Gilbert Grape The movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape tells the story of Gilbert Grape, a young man from small town Endora who works as a store clerk, has an affair with a married woman, Betty, and takes on more responsibility than he can handle. Gilbert feels responsible for his family, especially his mentally challenged brother Arnie, who he protects dearly, and his mother Bonnie, who is morbidly obese after years of depression following her husband’s suicide. Bonnie did not leaveRead MoreWhat s Eating Gilbert Grape1792 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract The author of this paper will analyze the film, â€Å"What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.† This analysis will identify the strengths, weaknesses, and barriers that the family is encountering. The social worker will assist the Grape family with identifying goals to work on as individuals, and as a unit. One way is to implement a Generalist Intervention Model. The GIM can be used as a tool in assessing the family and their environment. When a family is in crisis, there are many agencies and social servicesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie What s Eating Gilbert Grape 1572 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis Paper of the Film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape Sharon K. Chapman Tarleton State University Abstract [The abstract should be one paragraph of between 150 and 250 words. It is not indented. Section titles, such as the word Abstract above, are not considered headings so they don’t use bold heading format. Instead, use the Section Title style. This style automatically starts your section on a new page, so you don’t have to add page breaks. Note that all of the styles for this template are availableRead MoreAnalysis Of The Film What s Eating Gilbert Grape2200 Words   |  9 PagesAnalysis of the Film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape Sharon K. Chapman Tarleton State University Abstract [The abstract should be one paragraph of between 150 and 250 words. It is not indented. Section titles, such as the word Abstract above, are not considered headings so they don’t use bold heading format. Instead, use the Section Title style. This style automatically starts your section on a new page, so you don’t have to add page breaks. Note that all of the styles for this template are availableRead MoreThe Movie What s Eating Gilbert Grape ``1004 Words   |  5 PagesThe movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is about a young man torn between taking care of his mentally ill brother, his extremely overweight and depressed mother, providing for his family, and spending time with a new girl in town. Many members of the family suffer from mental disorders, and the movie describes the mental illnesses well and the actual troubles one might face when dealing with them. It also shows what can happen if a mental illness is untreated. The movie shows how normal people vie wRead MorePsychology Based Movie Review : What s Eating Gilbert Grape1646 Words   |  7 PagesReview of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape What’s Eating Gilbert Grape is a motion picture drama that follows the life of the Grape family in the small, lackluster town of Endora (Hallstrom, 1993). Gilbert Grape, played by a young Johnny Depp, is the film’s predominant character and apparent man of the family after his father’s death. Throughout the movie, Gilbert narrates his thoughts as he attempts to navigate his familial responsibilities, his work, and his personal life. Gilbert struggles to take