The past week or so everyone was debating on whether Leonardo DiCaprio would finally get his Oscar after failing to bring home gold on his previous three attempts. He was a favorite going in, so I don’t believe anyone was surprised when his named was called.
I have yet to see ‘The Revenant.’ I plan on it though, not because of all the Oscar buzz. The story is what interests me. It’s part of our history, and I find it fascinating.
I personally feel Leo is a fantastic actor. He’s also easy on the eyes, which is an added benefit. But Leo should of received an Oscar the first time he was nominated in 1994 for Best Supporting Actor. Which brings us to one of my favorite movies, ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’
If you like quirky dramas, this film is a gem. It’s a film about choices and playing the hand that life dealt you. It’s about coping and living. Growing up in small town rural America. Gilbert Grape is dealing with being the provider for his family, and growing up and becoming his own man.
The film in itself is wonderfully done. The story line is well written, the message is timeless. There are no jaw dropping special effects, no blood and guts. Even if this type of movie doesn’t appeal to you, you still need to check it out.
You see, Leonardo DiCaprio pulls off a mind blowing performance in this film as Gilberts mentally challenged brother, Arnie. You can’t even describe how good he is in this movie. And he was so young. Amazing.
I’m not going to tell you anymore. If you haven’t seen it yet, just pull it up on Netflix. Hell, even if you have seen it, watch it again. With all the remakes and ‘Twilights’ out there, it’s good to just sit and watch a well done original movie.
Kudos Mr. DiCaprio. Well done and long overdue.
On a scale of one to five, I give ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’ a 4 3/4. k
