Gilbert (Johnny Depp) is a young man who lives in Endora, Iowa, population 1,091. "Describing it", says Gilbert, "is like dancing to no music, "Gilbert lives with his mother (Darlene Cates), whose five hundred pound frame is slowly destroying the fragile Grape homestead. Gilbert also lives with his brother, Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), who is nearly eighteen but was never expected to survive childhood, his older sister Amy, who only smiles when something goes wrong, and Ellen, …
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…a quiet, understated performance in the lead role, allowing all of Gilbert's conflicts to be read in his eyes. Darlene Cates, who the producers discovered on an episode of "Geraldo" dealing with obesity, is completely natural and convincing in her debut performance. If there were more roles in Hollywood for 600-pound women, she would be an overnight movie star. In response to the question, is Gilbert Grape a good person, I say indeed he is!