[rating=6]

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “What should I watch on Netflix?” only to find yourself overwhelmed by endless choices and genres, then look no further for help. “Netflix Now” is a new column meant to give readers a recommendation on the “must see” movies currently available on Netflix, and help you steer clear of the ones that are so bad you wonder why you even pay to go on Netflix.

This week’s review is of “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”: 6 out of 6 star film. Simply put, its story alone is good enough to be a watchable movie, but it goes above and beyond with great performances and powerful themes and characters to make this a must see on Netflix.

Lasse Hallström’s “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” is a heartfelt and enchanting drama starring, Johnny Depp, Leonardo Dicaprio, and Juliette Lewis.

The film centers on Gilbert Grape, played by Johnny Depp, and his everyday life in the town of Endora. He works at a local grocery store, as the man of the house in his family, and perhaps his greatest responsibility, taking care of his younger, mentally disabled brother Arnie (Leonardo Dicaprio).

Gilbert’s bed ridden mother hasn’t left the house in seven years and adds a bigger dilemma to Gilbert’s life, but this conflict also strengthens the film because it makes his mother a more interesting character. Along with some powerful themes spoken between them, it makes the film all the more thought provoking.

With Gilbert getting himself into some sticky situations and engaging in a romance, Gilbert’s everyday life never becomes a bore. And the fun of it all is that his story is so relatable that we are able to understand what he’s going through and connect with him through the everyday struggles that he faces. His frustration in taking care of his brother, who cannot communicate very well, leads to some great comedic moments. Despite his frustration with Arnie, Gilbert can’t bring himself to get mad at Arnie because he his guardian angel. Arnie is the one who essentially keeps Gilbert’s life on track and is also the main reason for why Gilbert has such a big heart for his community.

Gilbert’s brother Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio) steals the show and keeps the viewers engaged as the story goes on, and he never fails to give a bright and heartfelt performance on screen. Also DiCaprio’s chemistry with Johnny Depp was great and made their relationship as brothers very believable, making me want to see more of their relationship.

Although the performances are great, I never really cared for the majority of the characters besides Gilbert, Arnie, their mother, and Gilbert’s love interest. The secondary characters weren’t developed enough for the audience to care about what they are going through. Maybe it’s because the film is so focused on Gilbert and Arnie that everybody else seemed less interesting.

Hallström’s story is engaging and leaves audience members wanting to see how Gilbert’s story plays out. With the well thought out pacing and great cinematography, Gilbert’s captivating story is a mature one. One that can let us explore ourselves and keeps asking us to answer the same question that keeps eating Gilbert Grape. Hallström was able to combine romance, comedy, and a bit of melodrama into such a neat package that the few secondary characters were not bothersome.

Despite “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’s” slight predictability and its few disappointing characters, what Lasse Hallström creates is a well thought out drama that allows viewers to explore themselves and the big questions brought up in the film. Gilbert Grape’s journey is a heartfelt and captivating story that never loses its grip on what it is trying to show the viewers. Proposing, the true heroes lie in those with a big heart.