Gilbert Grape Case Study

The author of this paper will analyze the film, “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 services that can help with issues. From a Macro level perspective, the Grape family slipped through the cracks in the system. The author will describe what macro social work entails. The National Association of Social Workers has created a Code of

The Grapes are a family living in a rural and economically depressed community. The members of the Grape family presently residing in the familial home consists of biological birth mother Bonnie Grape, who is unemployed and 54 years of age. Amy Grape, the eldest child, Unemployed and currently 34 years of age. Gilbert Grape, the eldest male sibling who is employed at a local grocery store and is currently 24, years of age. Arnie Grape is Gilbert’s younger brother and is presently turning 18 years of age. Arnie reaching his 18th birthday is considered to be somewhat of a triumph by the Grape family, as Arnie suffers from a debilitating medical condition that has not only kept him from achieving age appropriate

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape portrays a family that is dealing with the trials, tribulations, and also great times of having a member with a disability. The Grape family consists of Gilbert, Ellen, Amy, Mama, and of course, Arnie. The Grape family lives in an isolated town of Endora in a house that seems to be in shambles since their father died. In the beginning, Gilbert’s voiceover states that “living in Endora is like dancing to no music,” which one can definitely relate to after viewing this touching film. Gilbert Grape is a young man that has been impeded by more burdens than any man ought to have in an entire lifetime. He stocks shelves and delivers groceries for a local store, Lamson’s Grocery,

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, a motion picture released in 1993 and directed by Lasse Hallström, follows the life of Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp) and his younger brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), a mentally disabled 17 year old. Their mother, Bonnie (Darlene Cates), is morbidly obese and has been home-bound for the past seven years following the suicide of her husband. After their father died, Gilbert became the main caregiver and provider for Arnie, their two sisters Amy and Ellen, and their mother. As they grew up, Gilbert quickly became Arnie’s role-model, and the two now share a special bond. The brothers work together at the local grocery store, are often found playing hide and seek, and have a special tradition where they watch the campers drive through their small town of Endora, Iowa every year. This year while watching the campers, a traveler named Becky (Juliette Lewis) caught Gilbert’s eye, and he has trouble keeping up with a new love interest and Arnie’s constant mischief.

The film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape revolves around a single-parent household and four children. The narration is from Gilbert’s perspective, the third eldest brother of five, and his transition into adulthood as well as figuring out his life goals. Due to psychological stress on the children’s mother and financial hardship, the children have more responsibility than most children their age, and this responsibility interferes with their goals for the future (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?). The content areas of focus are, Gilbert’s quest to find his purpose in life, as well as a healthy romantic

Lasse Hallstrom, director of What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, uses film elements such as the setting of small town Endora, character development of for example main characters Gilbert (Jonny Depp), as well as Alan Parker and Bjorn Isfalt’s sound design and music to position the viewer to be hopeful and learn that change is inevitable by the end of the film. The film follows Gilbert Grape and his family struggling to survive after their father’s suicide with morbidly obese mother Bonnie (Darlene Cates) and mentally handicapped brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio) in the small town of Endora. The family feels trapped in this town, in their house, that “nothing ever changes” and that “they’re not going anywhere”.

Included in the DSM-IV-TR Axis II categories are personality disorders and mental retardation. Mental retardation is not considered a cognitive disorder or a

The movie takes place in the fictional small Midwestern town of Endora, Iowa. Gilbert says in the film’s opening voiceover, “Describing Endora is like dancing to no music...nothing much happens here, and never will,” In one of the scenes, we understand that the father could not handle the pressures of life so he committed suicide 15 years earlier by hanging himself in the basement. Gilbert is concerned about the condition of the farmhouse so he calls his friend Tucker so they can check the stability of the floor by going into the basement. They bring in some

Mental illness in this manner is the belief that such illnesses can be identified and classified (As in the DSM & ICD)

In the film "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" directed by Lasse Hallstrom in 1993, one of the main ideas is that of struggle and hardship. This idea is significant to the film because it relates to each character in a different way, making the storyline more interesting. Three different techniques used by Lasse Hallstrom to illustrate the idea of struggle and hardship include Gilberts voice over, the extra close-ups of Bonnie as she climbs the stairs and the double up of dialogue, where Mrs Carver is talking to Gilbert, and Mr Carver is heard tying to entertain their children in background.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a beautifully shot movie of tenderness, caring and self-awareness that is set amongst the fictional working class one street town Endora. Centred around the Grape family Ellen and

There are many forms of mental retardation. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines mental retardation as “a condition, usually congenital, characterized by subnormal intelligence” (Agnes, p404). Mental retardation can be caused by a certain birth defect due to a traumatic event during the mother’s pregnancy, or mental retardation can also be inherited. The most common inherited form of mental retardation is Fragile X Syndrome.

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 care of Bonnie, his morbidly obese mother, his new love interest, Becky, and his autistic brother, Arnie. Arnie is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and for the purpose of this assignment, will be the focus of this analysis.

What's eating gilbert Grape is an american drama in the perspective of Gilbert Grape who is the older brother of his 3 other siblings Arnie, Amy and Ellen. Gilbert looks after his 3 other siblings while also looking after his mother Bonnie Grape who is obese and never leaves home. Gilbert Grape goes off and works at the local supermarket and delivers groceries to people's homes to provide for his family not only does he does this he looks after his brother Arnie who is developmentally disabled. The Grape family is seen as lower class citizens in the small town that they live in since they are only receiving one income and live in a home that is “falling apart and tack looking”. Throughout this film class in society displayed through setting and language features. The Grape family holds the secret about her mother who is obese and who hasn’t left the house in years. Not only does that secret occur within the film but Gilbert Grapes affair with Betty Craver and stay at home married mum who he delivers groceries too is seen as “upper/middle” class in society . The aspect of “secrets and lies can lie within any class of society” is highly portrayed within this film due to the affair and the “hiding” of Bonnie Grape. Not only is this aspect is portrayed but throughout the Film Gilbert and Arnie Grape meet a young woman Becky who is with her Grandma who were on a trip through their town but got stuck. Throughout the time that Becky was stuck in there town Gilbert and Arnie hung out with Becky, the aspect of “class in society doesn’t define someone of their capabilities or success” is portrayed through Becky's character due to the fact that she didn’t judge Gilbert or Arnie due to their class in society and the way they live and there occupations. These aspects are portrayed in a dramatic way towards the audience to show that class in society shouldn’t define someone and that no matter what class in

Mental Retardation is common in children with WAGR. The severity of mental retardation ranges from severe to mild and varies from person to person.