dianeseattle
Member
Saw this movie today and read a bit about Peter Hedges, the real Gilbert Grape, who wrote about his life with an obese mom in two different books. Gilbert is an archetype of codependency.
Darlene Cates, the actress who played his mom, lived a life that reflected her character in the movie.
From her obituary:
"Cates had been bedridden and weighed 500 pounds when she was discovered and cast in the role as the Grape matriarch.
"Peter Hedges, who wrote the book of the same name that evolved into the screenplay, saw Cates on a 1992 episode of Sally Jessy Raphael, titled “Too Heavy to Leave the House.” On the show, Texas-native Cates spoke about her obesity and a pelvic infection that caused her to gain nearly 150 pounds.
"After Gilbert Grape, Cates appeared on TV in 1992’s Picket Fences, 1994’s Touched by an Angel and in the made-for-TV movie Wolf Girl in 2001.
"In 2012, Cates had lost nearly 250 pounds and spoke to The Dallas Morning News about being optimistic about acting again. She had been housebound at the time and was recovering from a series of surgeries that had kept her in the hospital for nearly a year."
It pisses me off that life and art can so commercially entwined for the sake of entertainment. And I had a pelvic inflammatory infection from a Dalkon Shield IUD that came close to killing me in 1974. I don't know how that could cause weight gain in and of itself, but I do know we seek cause and effect explanations when something's too painful to confront.
It's a complicated story with many unhappy endings. In a way, the message is almost, "don't try to get better." The single victory of the obese mom ends up killing her.
I choose life. I choose to try. I choose to be responsible for my own feelings, not to become enmeshed in someone else's.
My sister Kathy weighed at least 300 pounds when she died. She was in her late 60s. There was nothing I could do for her, though I tried. But I couldn't let her choices force me into codependency.
I miss her like crazy. But even after she witnessed my 115-pound weight loss, it never inspired her. It just made her feel more ashamed, and she ate more to feel better.
We're lucky we decided to make better choices, but I guess change always involves some pain. That's what's eating Gilbert Grape.
Darlene Cates, the actress who played his mom, lived a life that reflected her character in the movie.
From her obituary:
"Cates had been bedridden and weighed 500 pounds when she was discovered and cast in the role as the Grape matriarch.
"Peter Hedges, who wrote the book of the same name that evolved into the screenplay, saw Cates on a 1992 episode of Sally Jessy Raphael, titled “Too Heavy to Leave the House.” On the show, Texas-native Cates spoke about her obesity and a pelvic infection that caused her to gain nearly 150 pounds.
"After Gilbert Grape, Cates appeared on TV in 1992’s Picket Fences, 1994’s Touched by an Angel and in the made-for-TV movie Wolf Girl in 2001.
"In 2012, Cates had lost nearly 250 pounds and spoke to The Dallas Morning News about being optimistic about acting again. She had been housebound at the time and was recovering from a series of surgeries that had kept her in the hospital for nearly a year."
It pisses me off that life and art can so commercially entwined for the sake of entertainment. And I had a pelvic inflammatory infection from a Dalkon Shield IUD that came close to killing me in 1974. I don't know how that could cause weight gain in and of itself, but I do know we seek cause and effect explanations when something's too painful to confront.
It's a complicated story with many unhappy endings. In a way, the message is almost, "don't try to get better." The single victory of the obese mom ends up killing her.
I choose life. I choose to try. I choose to be responsible for my own feelings, not to become enmeshed in someone else's.
My sister Kathy weighed at least 300 pounds when she died. She was in her late 60s. There was nothing I could do for her, though I tried. But I couldn't let her choices force me into codependency.
I miss her like crazy. But even after she witnessed my 115-pound weight loss, it never inspired her. It just made her feel more ashamed, and she ate more to feel better.
We're lucky we decided to make better choices, but I guess change always involves some pain. That's what's eating Gilbert Grape.