Does the dog die?
467 supporters
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Movie • 1993 • Drama
ReportGilbert Grape is a small-town young man with a lot of responsibility. Chief among his concerns are his mother, who is so overweight that she can't leave the house, and his mentally impaired younger brother, Arnie, who has a knack for finding trouble. Settled into a job at a grocery store and an ongoing affair with local woman Betty Carver, Gilbert finally has his life shaken up by the free-spirited Becky.
This movie contains 31 potentially triggering events.
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Both
Yes
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Your Triggers
Yes
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21
0
Anonymous
No dogs in film
1 comment | Add comment
Unanswered Triggers
Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Abandonment
Yes
3
No
2
Abuse
Yes
1
No
3
Yes
2
No
2
Yes
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12
Yes
10
No
7
1
Ouchies2
In one scene Gilbert becomes frustrated trying to get Arnie to have a bath and roughly drags and slaps him.
1 comment | Add comment
Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
32 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
11
Yes
15
No
3
1
Waxlady
The older brother (Gilbert) beats up the younger brother (Arnie)
1 comment | Add comment
Addiction
Yes
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No
10
Is there addiction?
22 supporters
Yes
8
No
6
2
TheCassandraComplex
To address the other comment, obesity itself is not addiction or even necessarily a result of addictive behavior. It CAN be a result of addictive behavior but to assume the character is obese due to food addiction is a completely fatphobic assumption considering the underlying causes are not addressed or even mentioned in the film.
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
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10
Animal
Yes
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No
16
Yes
22
No
1
3
KathyT154
A cricket
4 comments | Add comment
Are animals abused?
212 supporters
Yes
13
No
3
3
Waxlady
A bug is beheaded by Arnie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
15
Is there a dead animal?
118 supporters
Yes
10
No
3
1
Nylah_jp
Nothing graphic it was a cricket, but Arnie seemed very upset over it.
2 comments | Add comment
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4
Yes
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17
Yes
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5
Yes
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14
Yes
1
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12
Yes
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4
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
4
Are there bugs?
39 supporters
Yes
17
No
2
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Nylah_jp
There is a grasshopper shown briefly at the start of the movie
1 comment | Add comment
Assault
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
4
Is someone held under water?
25 supporters
Yes
2
No
2
1
crunchy_viking
a character drowns but it is not shown
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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4
Is someone beaten up by a bully?
19 supporters
Yes
1
No
2
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SquiddyKat
Not by a bully, Artie's brother loses it and hits him.
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone restrained?
30 supporters
Yes
7
No
1
2
Sid
Arnie is restrained by his siblings when he sees something upsetting and begins to harm himself
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
4
No
13
0
Sid
Betty Carver fellates Gilbert when he is on the phone and doesn’t want her to
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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No
3
Yes
0
No
5
Bodily Harm
Yes
0
No
13
Does someone struggle to breathe?
29 supporters
Yes
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No
11
-1
Sid
Arnie pretends to hang himself and makes choking noises
1 comment | Add comment
Is there decapitation?
40 supporters
Yes
4
No
2
1
crunchy_viking
a bug is decapitated
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
4
Is someone burned alive?
47 supporters
Yes
2
No
17
2
SERENITY
They set fire to a house with a dead woman inside. But she is already dead.
1 comment | Add comment
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12
Yes
0
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4
Yes
0
No
12
Does a head get squashed?
58 supporters
Yes
5
No
9
2
Waxlady
Arnie squashes a bug's head (the actual act isn't shown though)
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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No
4
Is there a hanging?
31 supporters
Yes
10
No
4
2
missevil399
Never shown but they talk about how the character did it.
5 comments | Add comment
Does someone asphyxiate?
25 supporters
Yes
2
No
4
1
Sid
Arnie mimes hanging himself in an impression of his father who committed suicide by that method
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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No
9
Yes
1
No
4
Yes
0
No
15
Does someone have a seizure?
10 supporters
Yes
1
No
15
0
Sid
Arbor’s panic attacks and echolalia can look a little seizure-like
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Is there finger/toe mutilation?
58 supporters
Yes
1
No
14
1
Nylah_jp
Arnie gets a cut on his wrist after Ellen drags him across the ground
1 comment | Add comment
Is someone tortured?
93 supporters
Yes
3
No
14
0
missevil399
*spoilers* Gilbert beats up Arnie
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Does someone fall to their death?
11 supporters
Yes
0
No
14
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TheCassandraComplex
No but someone is in danger of this.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
5
Children
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
13
Is a minor sexualized?
114 supporters
Yes
2
No
4
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Sid
In the book version Gilbert is 26 and Betty is 15 but they appear to be roughly the same age in the film
1 comment | Add comment
Death
Yes
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No
4
Yes
3
No
0
Yes
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3
Yes
4
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Disability
Is someone disabled played by able-bodied?
25 supporters
Yes
8
No
0
1
FleetwoodMacNCheez
Leonardo DiCaprio portrays an intellectually disabled teen
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
5
Drugs/Alcohol
Yes
0
No
5
Family
Yes
4
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0
Does a parent die?
22 supporters
Yes
28
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1
Sid
Also Betty’s husband dies and everyone thinks she murdered him
3 comments | Add comment
Is a child's toy destroyed?
31 supporters
Yes
1
No
8
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Sid
Probably in the fire at the end
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
11
Does someone cheat?
22 supporters
Yes
16
No
0
1
Nylah_jp
Betty cheats on her husband with Gilbert
1 comment | Add comment
Fear
Are there ghosts?
8 supporters
Yes
0
No
13
0
Nylah_jp
There are no ghosts but there is a brief scene when Arnie is making ghost noises (which is him imitating his dead father) when he is asked to go help in the basement.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Is there a shower scene?
8 supporters
Yes
14
No
2
0
SquiddyKat
Artie baths twice.
3 comments | Add comment
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2
No
1
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
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No
14
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
0
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4
Yes
0
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4
Gross
Yes
2
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17
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0
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6
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0
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3
Yes
0
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4
Does someone spit?
11 supporters
Yes
13
No
0
0
Nylah_jp
Arnie spits out corn at the start of the film
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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10
Large-scale Violence
Yes
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4
Law Enforcement
Yes
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7
LGBTQ+
Yes
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4
Yes
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4
Yes
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No
4
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0
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3
Medical
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14
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15
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12
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12
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0
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15
Mental Health
Yes
2
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2
Yes
10
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8
1
Anonymous
Arnie purposely hits himself in the head when he’s upset
3 comments | Add comment
Is autism misrepresented?
37 supporters
Yes
2
No
2
5
TheCassandraComplex
Quick Disclaimer: I am a “passing” autistic woman with no comorbid intellectual disability so my perspective isn’t as relevant to this particular movie as those with an ID who are less able to mask. If such a person adds their thoughts here, I encourage you to upvote them over me.
Arnie has an unspecified genetic developemental disability that is likely autism with a comorbid intellectual disability. There’s no doubt that Leo’s performance was convincing and, I think, fairly sensitive and nuanced for the time. However, it’s always potentially triggering whenever a neurotypical actor plays someone neurodivergent. It can be hurtful and feel like mocking despite the all the best intentions of the actor or filmmakers, so I am marking “yes” to this question just to be safe.
Arnie has an unspecified genetic developemental disability that is likely autism with a comorbid intellectual disability. There’s no doubt that Leo’s performance was convincing and, I think, fairly sensitive and nuanced for the time. However, it’s always potentially triggering whenever a neurotypical actor plays someone neurodivergent. It can be hurtful and feel like mocking despite the all the best intentions of the actor or filmmakers, so I am marking “yes” to this question just to be safe.
1 comment | Add comment
Is a mentally ill person violent?
34 supporters
Yes
3
No
5
0
Sid
An extremely stressed person breaks down and hurts someone
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Is there autism specific abuse?
53 supporters
Yes
20
No
0
1
Ouchies2
In one scene Gilbert slaps, fights and roughly drags Arnie to try and get him to have a bath.
In another scene he leaves him to have a bath alone while he goes out with a girl and he comes back the next day and Arnie is still in the bath shivering as he needed help. This was not portrayed as malicious but is an upsetting image.
In another scene he leaves him to have a bath alone while he goes out with a girl and he comes back the next day and Arnie is still in the bath shivering as he needed help. This was not portrayed as malicious but is an upsetting image.
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
79 supporters
Add comment
Yes
2
No
1
Yes
0
No
3
Is there misophonia?
31 supporters
Yes
1
No
2
1
Sid
Arnie seems to be sensitive to some noises. Throughout the film, he screams a lot which might be distressing to some people
1 comment | Add comment
Are there anxiety attacks?
23 supporters
Yes
4
No
7
0
Nylah_jp
I wouldn't call it a 'anxiety attack' but Arnie is freaking out and hitting his head after his mother dies
3 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
30 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
12
Yes
0
No
15
Does someone have an eating disorder?
42 supporters
Yes
19
No
5
2
Sid
The mother started binge-eating after her husband died and is so overweight that she hasn’t left the house in seven years
5 comments | Add comment
Yes
17
No
2
2
KathyT154
The father hanged himself in the cellar, it‘s mentioned but never shown.
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone suffer from PTSD?
32 supporters
Yes
3
No
1
1
Sid
The boys are both very affected by their father’s suicide before the events of the film
1 comment | Add comment
Noxious
Yes
0
No
14
Does a baby cry?
19 supporters
Yes
1
No
5
0
SquiddyKat
Arnie cries after the death of a grass hopper
1 comment | Add comment
Is there obscene language/gestures?
8 supporters
Yes
1
No
4
0
RedEyeJedi
Some language throughout and one character flips off another.
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
12
Paranoia
Is the fourth wall broken?
10 supporters
Yes
0
No
6
0
Sid
There is narration if that counts
1 comment | Add comment
Pregnancy
Yes
0
No
6
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
15
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
12
Prejudice
Yes
0
No
10
Is there ableist language or behavior?
41 supporters
Yes
12
No
2
1
missevil399
The family screams at Arnie, and there's ableist behavior from some of the townspeople.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
9
Yes
0
No
7
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
13
Are there fat jokes?
54 supporters
Yes
22
No
0
1
Nylah_jp
Gilbert occasionally makes fun of his mothers weight.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
3
Yes
3
No
2
Yes
0
No
12
Is there hate speech?
31 supporters
Yes
0
No
9
-1
Nylah_jp
Gilbert makes hurtful comments about his mother constantly
1 comment | Add comment
Race
Yes
0
No
3
Relationships
Is there a large age gap?
40 supporters
Yes
4
No
0
0
Sid
In the book version Gilbert is 26 and Becky is 15 but they seem to be roughly the same age in the film
1 comment | Add comment
Sex
Yes
0
No
5
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
3
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
92 supporters
Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Is there sexual content?
64 supporters
Yes
21
No
2
1
Waxlady
Sexual scene when Gilbert delivers groceries
3 comments | Add comment
Sexism
Yes
0
No
4
Sickness
Yes
0
No
4
Does someone have a chronic illness?
9 supporters
Yes
5
No
0
1
Sid
Arnie has an undisclosed disability and wasn’t supposed to reach the age of ten. It’s repeatedly mentioned that “he could go at any time”
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
0
No
4
Social
Yes
0
No
4
Yes
0
No
3
Spoiler
Yes
0
No
15
Does it have a sad ending?
64 supporters
Yes
5
No
5
0
SquiddyKat
Yes.
3 comments | Add comment
Vehicular
Yes
3
No
0
Yes
0
No
13
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
1
No
11
Violence
Does someone drown?
24 supporters
Yes
11
No
4
1
Waxlady
Woman's husband drowned in a kiddie pool.
2 comments | Add comment
Is there blood/gore?
58 supporters
Yes
12
No
3
0
Nylah_jp
Not graphic, Arnie is seen with blood on his face twice but not graphic at all just a few cuts.
2 comments | Add comment
Yes
0
No
14
Yes
0
No
11