What's Eating Gilbert Grape

It's rare for a movie to catch two actors on the cusp of superstardom. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" does just that, with Leonardo di Caprio as the mentally retarded Arnie, and Johnny Depp as his stoic older brother Gilbert. "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" is a wonderful comedy-drama about Gilbert, his mentally retarded brother Arnie, his mother, his two sisters, and the townspeople. John C. Reilly has a small part as a genial carpenter who repairs the Grape's delipidated house as a favor.
I can't praise this movie enough. There isn't much of a storyline, it just follows the Grape family in the weeks leading up to Arnie's 18th birthday party. But there isn't a weak link in the cast, and I've rarely seen a family film that's so touching and unsentimental. Darlene Cates in particular gives an amazing perfomrmance as Momma Grape, who is so obese the children have to carry the kitchen table into the living room for meals. There are some subplots, one involving Gilbert's affair with an unhappy housewife (Mary Steenbergen), and another involving Gilbert's romance with an peripetetal young woman (Juliette Lewis). But mostly this movie is a slice of life, rather than a 3-part drama.
Leonardo di Caprio's exuberant, warm, hilarious performance as Arnie was justly praised (he got an Academy award nomination). di Caprio's Arnie can't stay still: he's always climbing trees, or running away from baths, or jumping up for a piggyback. Leo steals every scene he's in. I especially love how he gave his character a "tic": constantly flicking his nose. This could have been a one-note performance but it isn't. di Caprio's Arnie is sweet and even manipulative. In one of my favorite scenes, he wimpers to his mother that he could have "drownded" after Gilbert left him alone during a bath. Johnny Depp is also wonderful, albeit more understated, as Gilbert. Depp doesn't verbalize or exaggerate Gilbert's frustration at having so many responsibilities. You just assume it's there, and you empathize with the way he matter-of-factly deals with every new crisis.
Nowadays Leo and Johnny are Grade-A superstars, and every project is big news. It's unlikely either will agree to make a film like this again. So watch these two fine actors on the brink of superstardom. It's richly deserved.