You cannot write about this film without addressing the elephant in the room: Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar-snubbed performance.
In 1994, DiCaprio was 19 years old. To play Arnie Grape—a character with an unspecified neurodevelopmental condition (often interpreted as autism spectrum disorder combined with a traumatic brain injury tic)—DiCaprio did extensive research. He visited group homes. He worked with a speech pathologist. He developed specific mannerisms: the constant scratching of the nose, the high-pitched whine, the way Arnie touches his fingers to his forehead when frustrated. What-s Eating Gilbert Grape