Before Leonardo DiCaprio became one of Hollywood's most infamous leading men, he had a lot of smaller roles that proved to be impactful for his career. Recurring roles on television series and small film roles were common for DiCaprio early on. Amongst some of his earlier roles is his standout performance in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.DiCaprio made his film debut in the 1991 horror movie Critters 3. From there, he went on to star in projects alongside notable Hollywood names. By 1993, DiCaprio landed the role of Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, which put him in the company of Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, and Darlene Cates. Despite being surrounded by talent who were on their own climb to stardom, DiCaprio's performance was a standout for many critics.DiCaprio became a star through his work in Romeo + Juliet and Titanic. Through these heartthrob roles, DiCaprio became a beloved household name. Today, DiCaprio continues to be known for those roles in addition to performances in Inception, Django Unchained, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Great Gatsby, and The Revenant. Without roles like What's Eating Gilbert Grape, there's no telling how long it may have taken Hollywood to realize the star they had in their midst. DiCaprio's role in What's Eating Gilbert Grape earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. At the time, DiCaprio was only 19 years old. DiCaprio would go on to be nominated for Best Actor with The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. In 2016, DiCaprio won his first (and only) Academy Award for The Revenant.
Within the list of titles DiCaprio has been associated with, the range of his acting is impressive. In What's Eating Gilbert Grape, DiCaprio showcases that range in an incredibly heartbreaking manner. What's Eating Gilbert Grape follows Gilbert (Depp) as he tries to navigate life in his small town. From early on, it becomes clear what's eating at him. Aside from the uneventful town, Gilbert is carrying a lot of burdens for a man of his age. He is the primary caretaker of his household because he is the oldest son (and their father had committed suicide many years ago). His two sisters, Amy (Laura Harrington) and Ellen (Mary Kate Schellhardt), do their best to take care of the house's day-to-day functions, which includes taking care of their overweight mother (Cates) who refuses to leave the house. On top of this, Gilbert is also one of the only people in the Grape family that has the patience to care for his mentally impaired brother, Arnie.While Depp is the title character, it's impossible not to pay attention to DiCaprio during his onscreen moments. Oddly, What's Eating Gilbert Grape is designed that way. One of the focal points of the film is Gilbert's relationship with Arnie. When it becomes time to plan Arnie's birthday party (and the tragedy that occurs following it), he becomes an even more integral part of the film. Arnie does cause a bit of trouble for Gilbert by getting himself into some awfully dangerous situations. In town, Arnie repeatedly climbs up the water tower and at home, he often finds his way onto the house's roof. Due to his mental impairment, Arnie lacks the ability to comprehend situations in the same manner as the rest of his family. It's why he climbs to such high places without understanding the danger he puts himself in and makes some of the comments that he does. In one of the most memorable scenes of the film, Arnie sits with his family at dinner and happily chants that their dad is dead, not understanding the emotional weight behind what he is saying.
The emphasis on Dicaprio shouldn't take away from the rest of What's Eating Gilbert Grape's cast. Each member delivers their role to perfection, giving an emotional complexity to their characters that goes far beyond how many lines they have. DiCaprio is a notable standout not only because of his age but because of the mental and emotional complexity of the role he is tasked to portray. At times, DiCaprio has to portray happiness, frustration, sadness, and anger, all at once. While doing so, DiCaprio must also highlight how Arnie demonstrates and processes these emotions differently than those around him. For an actor without these mental disabilities, being able to capture them in a proper, tasteful manner is extremely difficult.As difficult (and controversial) as it is, DiCaprio does it incredibly well and people took notice. DiCaprio has gone on to work with some of the biggest names behind the camera including James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, and Baz Luhrmann. Some of these directors have repeatedly worked with DiCaprio because of the intensity he brings to his performances. In 2022, DiCaprio and Scorsese's sixth collaboration entitled Killers of the Flower Moon will premiere in theatres. DiCaprio will next star in Netflix's Don't Look Up alongside Jennifer Lawerence and Meryl Streep. This success and range DiCaprio exhibits can all be traced back to his performance as Arnie in What's Eating Gilbert Grape.What's Eating Gilbert Grape is now streaming on Netflix.