What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

Seen on March 12,2009 - A Netflix dvd

Based on Peter Hedges' novel, this is about commitment, responsibility and love. It has the stamp of Lasse Hollstrom (known for Chocolat, The Hoax, Shipping News). Gilbert Grape's [Johnny Depp] family consisting of his retarded brother Arnie [brilliantly played by Leonardo DeCaprio], two unmarried sisters and an unmanageably corpulent mother. Grape puts his responsibility before his own life and is very patient and protective about the uncontrollable brother whose antics often prove to be a source of trouble from townsfolk. He even sacrifices his love interests and remains unmarried. When finally the overweight mother ostensibly kills herself to spare him her responsibility (and possibly of the ridicule from townsfolk), he decides to burn the house with her body because he didn't want to make a joke of his mother among townsfolk by hiring a crane; he wants her to die in dignity. At the end he takes his retarded brother with him when sets out to start his own life with his girlfriend.