What's Eating Gilbert Grape Film Analysis
Guilt. “A cognitive or emotional experience that occurs when a person believes that they have violated a moral standard and bears significant responsibility for that violation.” Guilt is portrayed a great deal in Lasse Hallström’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Guilt is depicted within the film through Gilbert as he is indecisive between leaving and staying, it is depicted through Bonnie as she believes that she is an incompetent wife and parent, and through Betty Carver, who holds herself responsible for the death of her husband. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape follows the trapped and tedious life of Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), through his struggles with responsibility when caring and providing for his family and mentally disabled brother
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Betty, a widowed mother of two fled after the death of her husband. Much like Bonnie, Betty feels that she also played a major role with the death of her husband. “Everybody thinks I killed him, do you?” Her husband, Mr. Carver died drowning, which was caused by the cardiac arrest that led to him falling into the children’s pool. Betty Carver was known to have an affair with Gilbert, this was because she was unhappy with her marriage. Mr. Carver had unsubtlety alluded that he knew what was happening between Betty and Gilbert, often interrogating Gilbert with broad passive-aggressive questions that can often be perceived as a threat. In order for Hallström to emphasise that Gilbert was intimidated by Mr. Caver, he often shot conversation scenes between the two using over the shoulder shots. It showed how tense and uncomfortable Gilbert was during the conversations. Mr. Carver had repeatedly raised doubts about the future of his marriage; how if he were to accuse Betty of cheating, his world would fall apart instantly and the reputation of his business would be tarnished. The idea of not being “good enough” consumed his thought process and soon he became obsessed with the idea, hence why he had the episode with his children about being a “fun” dad. This put him under a great deal of stress to be the “perfect” father and husband. Copious amounts of emotional stress is a major cause to having a cardiac arrest. This event seemed to reflect the situation of the death of Mr. Grape. It shows the ways that Betty and Bonnie dealt with guilt. Betty and Bonnie’s reaction was to flee; Betty fled from town, whereas Bonnie fled from
Betty, a widowed mother of two fled after the death of her husband. Much like Bonnie, Betty feels that she also played a major role with the death of her husband. “Everybody thinks I killed him, do you?” Her husband, Mr. Carver died drowning, which was caused by the cardiac arrest that led to him falling into the children’s pool. Betty Carver was known to have an affair with Gilbert, this was because she was unhappy with her marriage. Mr. Carver had unsubtlety alluded that he knew what was happening between Betty and Gilbert, often interrogating Gilbert with broad passive-aggressive questions that can often be perceived as a threat. In order for Hallström to emphasise that Gilbert was intimidated by Mr. Caver, he often shot conversation scenes between the two using over the shoulder shots. It showed how tense and uncomfortable Gilbert was during the conversations. Mr. Carver had repeatedly raised doubts about the future of his marriage; how if he were to accuse Betty of cheating, his world would fall apart instantly and the reputation of his business would be tarnished. The idea of not being “good enough” consumed his thought process and soon he became obsessed with the idea, hence why he had the episode with his children about being a “fun” dad. This put him under a great deal of stress to be the “perfect” father and husband. Copious amounts of emotional stress is a major cause to having a cardiac arrest. This event seemed to reflect the situation of the death of Mr. Grape. It shows the ways that Betty and Bonnie dealt with guilt. Betty and Bonnie’s reaction was to flee; Betty fled from town, whereas Bonnie fled from