What Is The Antithesis Of What's Eating Gilbert Grape

The music in the film plays a vital role in allowing the audience to understand the intentions and inner conflicts of the characters. In doing so, the film music can allow the mental illness that a character is experiencing to come to life on the screen, and allow the audience to relate to that character’s emotional state. Additionally, there are instances where the film music tries to do the opposite and play off of another character, and against the protagonist’s inner thought and feelings, but still allows for the protagonist to express themselves fully on the screen. Such is the case of the film, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. The majority of the music in this film, specifically the opening of the film, is the antithesis of what Gilbert is actually feeling personally.

Background and Synopsis
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993). Distributed by Paramount Pictures. Produced by executive producers Alan C. Blomquist and Lasse Hallstrom. Produced by producers Bertil Ohlsson, David Matalon, Meir Teper. Directed by Lasse Hallstrom. Screenplay written by Peter Hedges; based on the novel of the same name. Principle characters: Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), Arnie Grape (Leonardo …show more content…
From playing against Gilbert’s emotions when he is completely engulfed in burnout, like at the beginning of the film; to the music moving with GIlbert’s emotions and giving the audience a look into what he is actually feeling as in the latter half of the movie with the nondiegetic music. Gilbert, along with the music in this score, has a progression throughout the film from a state of emotional burnout to an emotional state that is much more lively and goofy. The music also progresses, moving from playing against the emotional state of Gilbert, to expressing his new found emotion on screen, presenting a coherent story of Gilbert’s journey through mental illness in What’s Eating Gilbert