What’s eating Gilbert Grape
Transcript written by and used with the courtesey of Angela Sugden
Arnie Two, three, five, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, nineteen, seventeen.
Gilbert Arnie.
Arnie Fifteen, seventeen.
Gilbert Arnie, eat some chicken.
Arnie I don’t, I don’t want any chicken, Gilbert.
Gilbert You want some corn?
Arnie I w. . . I want some corn.
Gilbert Have some corn. Here.
Arnie Huh.
Gilbert Good?
Arnie Mm-mm. Not good corn. Gilbert?
Gilbert Hmm.
Arnie Are they gonna come soon? ‘Cos I gotta go back home, you know.
Gilbert Pretty soon.
Arnie I want them to come.
Gilbert Wanna go home?
Arnie No. I wanna see ’em.
Gilbert Okay.
Arnie They’re gonna come soon, huh? How many more miles till they come, Gilbert?
Gilbert Three million, buddy.
Arnie Three?
Gilbert Yep.
Arnie Okay. Gilbert! That’s them, uh? Gilbert, look, it’s them! Look! They’re coming here! Ahh! Come here! Look at ’em come. They’re coming! Like a horse! Like a horse! Like a horse!
Gilbert (voice) My brother Arnie’s about to turn eighteen.
Gilbert Arnie!
Gilbert (voice) My family’s planning a big party for him. Watching the campers is our yearly ritual. They’re doing the right thing just passing through.
Gilbert God, Arnie. You’re getting so big. Pretty soon I ain’t going to be able to carry you no more.
Arnie No. You know you’re getting little, Gilbert.
Gilbert Yeah.
Arnie You’re getting littler. You’re shrinking, Gilbert. You’re shrinking. Shrinking, shrinking, shrinking.
Gilbert (voice) Endora. Endora’s where we are. Describing Endora is like dancing to no music. It’s a town where nothing much ever happens, and nothing much ever will. Lamson Grocery is where I work. And miles out of town on the interstate there’s Foodland… where everyone else shops. This is where I live with my family. My dad built the house. It’s my job to keep up the repairs. Doctors said we’d be lucky if Arnie lived to be ten. Well, ten came and went. Now the doctors are saying, “Any time now. Arnie could go at any time.” Some days you want him to live.
Arnie It’s a head.
Gilbert (voice) Some days you don’t.
Gilbert What is it, buddy?
Arnie I killed him. I killed him, Gilbert.
Gilbert I know.
Arnie I killed him.
Gilbert I know, buddy, I know.
Gilbert (voice) My older sister, Amy, is more like a mother. She used to manage the elementary school cafeteria over in Motley. . . until it burned down last year. My other sister, Ellen, just turned fifteen. She got her braces off and for days now she’s been walking around going, “Ooh, aah”, like she can’t believe to feel her teeth. I got another brother, Larry, but he got away. And then there’s Momma, who in her day, was the prettiest girl in these parts. Ever since our dad was hung out to dry seventeen years ago, Momma’s had her hands full. You see, with Momma there’s no nice way to break it to you. She hasn’t left the house in over seven years. I’m Gilbert. Gilbert Grape.
Television This is the stuff of the circus.
Momma Sunshine? Where’s my sunshine?
Gilbert I don’t know, Momma.
Amy Just the essentials.
Gilbert Okay.
Momma Gilbert. . . get him down from there.
Gilbert Arnie. . .
Momma Hurry!
Gilbert Let’s go. Amy, you seen Arnie?
Amy No, I thought he was with you.
Gilbert No, no. I wonder where he is.
Amy Gee, I don’t know.
Gilbert Ellen, you seen your brother?
Ellen He’s in the tree.
Amy Ellen, he is not in the tree! Gilbert already looked in the tree. Isn’t that right, Gilbert?
Gilbert Yeah, that’s right. Oh! Arnie. Don’t do that, you scared me. Come here.
Arnie I was up there, Gilbert.
Gilbert Yeah, you were up in the tree.
Arnie I was right up there.
Mr Lamson Can I help you with anything?
Woman Uh. . . no.
Arnie Thank you and goodbye.
Mr Lamson Gilbert?
Gilbert Sir?
Mr Lamson Something going on at Foodland?
Gilbert Oh, I wouldn’t know, sir. I don’t shop there. I’d rather die.
Mrs Lamson I’ll tell you. Foodland’s up to something, if you ask me.
Mr Lamson It’s those lobsters, isn’t it? Scads of lobsters all in a tank. Am I right?
Gilbert You know. You shouldn’t worry about it. It’s just a phase. People’ll come back here, believe me.
Mr Lamson You think?
Gilbert Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Mr Lamson The way you say that makes me think I’m talking to your father.
Arnie Can I have these two, Gilbert?
Gilbert No, just one.
Arnie Can I have these two?
Mr Lamson Sure, go ahead.
Gilbert Say thank you.
Mr Lamson Say hello to Momma for me.
Gilbert I will. See you tomorrow.
Mrs Lamson Gilbert. That was Mrs Carver needing a delivery. Could you?
Mrs Carver Hello, Gilbert.
Gilbert Hello.
Mrs Carver Boys, go on outside.
Todd Carver But we don’t wanna.
Doug Carver Yeah, we don’t wanna.
Mrs Carver Go play.
Arnie Hey! Hey!
Gilbert Arnie, get back in the truck. Keep counting, okay?
Arnie Okay. One. . . five, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twelve, thirteen. . .
Mr Carver Hey, kids, let’s play! Come on! Todd! We got the trampoline! Come on boys! Come on!
