Introduction
Mental diseases and psychological disorders often serve as factors impacting the development of the plot in movies. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, 1993, is not an exclusion as it portrays the life of a family affected by a disease. Gilbert Grape has to care for Arnie, his younger brother with mental impairment, his sisters Amy and Ellen, and their mother, Bonnie, who cannot recover after her husband’s suicide and spend her days eating and watching TV (Hallstrom, 1993). Gilbert wants to move to another place and start a new life, but his responsibilities prevent him from doing it. The desires and the existing obligations are a big challenge for Gilbert, and the whole plot is built around this fact.
Characters
Arnie, one of the main characters, is a mentally impaired 18-year aged boy who cannot live independently. His condition is complex, and he demands continuous supervision as he does not realize the consequences of his actions and their possible impact on the state of his health. Moreover, doctors say Arnie can die any moment, meaning Gilbert has additional responsibility and an additional stressor (Hallstrom, 1993). Arnie also has some dangerous behaviors, such as climbing the town water tower and trees, which can result in severe injury or even a boy’s death. His complex state and the inability to act independently become the background for the whole story and affect the plot.
Gilbert is another central figure in the movie as his troubles and desires are depicted in great detail. He accepts the responsibility of being the head of the family; however, seeing tourists’ trailers passing by, Gilbert dreams of another life. His daily routine and the need to care for his mentally impaired brother and mother becomes a serious burden for him and also means there is no opportunity for leaving the house (Hallstrom, 1993). For this reason, Gilbert’s psychological state is also complex. The feeling of guilt, anger, and despair are combined and affect the young man. In general, relations between two brothers are central to the plot and help to understand the message.
Analysis
The film demonstrates the topicality of mental diseases and shows that different categories can be affected by them. Ordinary people might acquire the symptoms indicating the illness and suffer from an inability to act and live independently. Psychology acknowledges the topic’s significance nowadays as it influences various populations and might help to resolve their problems by discussing them (Myers & DeWall, 2020). Such sub-disciplines as developmental, social, or cognitive ones focus on investigating the root causes leading to the emergence of issues similar to Arnie’s and the ways to resolve them (Myers & DeWall, 2020). For this reason, the movie emphasizes the relevance of the discussed topic and psychology.
The plot revolves around the idea of mental disease and how it affects the functioning of the family. It is identified that Arnie has a severe disorder impacting his thinking, cognition, and behavior. Following all symptoms, it is possible to state that he has mental retardation, presupposing poor intellectual functioning impairing a person’s ability to care for himself/herself and the ability to communicate or act as a member of society (Santos, 2009).
The diagnosis is not explained in detail in the movie; however, all characters know about Arnie’s problem, which affects him personally, socially, and professionally. He does not have the education or social skills needed to find a job and live independently, which becomes a serious problem for him and his close people. His speech is slow, delayed, and altered motor functioning makes simple tasks such as taking a bath impossible for Arnie, which ties him to Gilbert. Arnie is also passive, dependent, and ready to follow clear instructions, transforming him into a person who needs constant care and observation.
In general, mental retardation (MR) is one of the most common developmental disabilities affecting individuals. The existing theoretical approach to the disease states that MR can be easily recognized in childhood when the first dysmorphic features emerge (Myers & DeWall, 2020). The American Association on Mental Retardation defines it as a sub-average intellectual functioning followed by serious limitations in adaptive functioning (Beirne-Smith et al., 2005). The investigation of MR involves such sub-disciplines as cognitive and behavioral psychology, physiology, and genetics (Beirne-Smith et al., 2005).
The disease has a long history of investigation; however, there is still no effective and unified approach to ensure the complete recovery of a person (Myers & DeWall, 2020). For this reason, in the movie, Arnie serves as a constant reminder of the problem’s severity and the necessity to address it. The only way to improve the situation is education and training to enhance the existing skills, which is reflected in the movie.
The nature of the disease and how it influences individuals are also shown through the peculiarities of the brain and lifespan development. Arnie is an 18-year old boy who does not have appropriate social and cognitive skills, which is one of the main signs of MR. He cannot realize the risk of climbing trees or water tower or take a bath. His moral is also similar to this of a 10-year old boy, meaning that he cannot realize the consequences of all actions and his influence on Gilbert’s life. His older brother, on the contrary, has developed social, cognitive, and moral skills. He understands that his obligations presuppose caring for his mother, sisters, and mentally impaired brother, which causes him suffering and might also influence his psychological state.
Analyzing the central characters, it is also possible to say that they demonstrate typical signs of individuals with psychological problems. For instance, Arnie can be considered a classic representation of a person with MR discussed in seminal works. Heller et al. (1991) state that people with impaired thinking and mental abilities cannot act independently and often limit other family members’ freedom. It results in the development of additional mental problems and the impossibility to improve the situation, which is shown in the movie. Additionally, the film makes accurate points in describing the need to care for such people as they lack socialization and the ability to perform daily tasks (Myers & DeWall, 2020).
Gilbert cannot leave the house and move to another place as he is responsible for the brother since their mother also has mental issues. For this reason, the complex atmosphere within a family and Arnie’s state coincides with existing seminal works and the way investigators view the problem.
The movie also offers a stereotypical problem typical for families with no father and mother who cannot care for her children. Following gender roles, the older son becomes the head of the family and cares for all members. Regardless of his age and own plans, Gilbert has to sacrifice his chances for a better living, building a career, and creating his own family. This concept is also stereotypical for similar situations as sick people are often associated with sacrifice and self-abnegation (Beirne-Smith et al., 2005).
Following the frequent representation of mental diseases, such people are often viewed as a burden for their relatives who have to care for them, which is shown in the movie (Myers & DeWall, 2020). Additionally, Arnie acts in terms of classic descriptions of MR, making him a stereotypic patient suffering from mental impairment. For this reason, the film rests on some archetypes and typical views on the problem.
The movie also has some examples of operant conditioning and observational learning. For instance, Arnie, who has poor social and other skills, tries to follow Gilbert’s commands and learns how to behave safely. He stops climbing water tower or trees as it is prohibited by his brother, and Arnie can be punished for it. Moreover, the risk of being injured serves as one of the factors stimulating learning.
The movie also has some elements of observational learning as Arnie copies others’ behaviors to respond to some situations. This pattern is peculiar for people with mental diseases as the problematic cognition makes them copy models demonstrated by individuals surrounding them (Beirne-Smith et al., 2005). For this reason, Arnie’s behavior can be viewed in terms of operant conditioning and observational learning.
Much attention is also devoted to gestures, thinking, and languages as central factors affected by mental diseases. It portrays a realistic image of a person who suffers from MR as Arnie has slow speech, impaired thinking, and poor intelligence. He cannot realize all risks coming from his behavior and the consequences of his actions, such as sitting in a cold bath. Awkward gestures and movements combined with the complicated cognition and inability to perform daily tasks help to understand the nature of the disease better and influences viewers.
Finally, the characters’ motivation also plays a central role in the movie. Gilbert has a strong desire to leave the town and start a new life. However, he stays and cares for his family because of his moral obligation and love for Arnie and his mother. It serves as the central motif shaping the whole story. His anger and irritation come from the realization of the need to care for all family members; however, he accepts it and cannot leave the house because of the main motivation and strong emotions. There is no specific treatment or signs of improvement for Arnie; however, Gilbert continues to perform his tasks as the head of the family as he knows that it cannot survive without his contribution.
Conclusion
Altogether, the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape accurately depicts a person with severe mental disease. This factor serves as the basis of the plot and influences all central characters in the movie. The family lives in a complex atmosphere because of the mother’s psychological problems and Arnie’s inability to act independently. His gestures, cognitive abilities, speech, and learning patterns can be analyzed regarding typical symptoms of MR, meaning that the movie manages to represent a clear image of a patient with this sort of mental illness. The life of other family members is also depicted following some stereotypical representations of how close people have to care for a person with this sort of health issue.
References
Beirne-Smith, M., Patton, J., & Kim, S. (2005). Mental retardation: An introduction to intellectual disability (7th ed.) Pearson.
Hallstrom, L. (1993). What’s eating Gilbert Grape [Film]. Paramount Pictures.
Heller, H., Spooner, F., Schilit, J., Enright, B., & Haney, K. (1991). Classic articles: A reflection into the field of mental retardation. Education and Training in Mental Retardation, 26(2), 202-206.
Myers, D., & DeWall, N (2020). Psychology (13th ed.). Worth Publishers.
Santos, D. (2009). A psychiatric analysis of the film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? City Tech Writer, 4, 86-88. Web.