'say thank you, gilbert'

arnie grape, younger bother to gilbert, really made an imprint on me. i understood that he required extra boundaries to ensure his safety but even with those restrictions he appeared very free. he definitely lived 'in the moment.' he definitely had a very good older brother.
whether he was counting, climbing, laughing, or crying, i felt he was humming to his own internal soundtrack. he was in a state of meditation! he could really focus. arnie may not have been able to understand consequences in advance but after killing an insect he surely had a clear sense of karma.
arnie showed me that there can be much to learn from those moving in a different lane.

'What I learned from Arnie is, I would love it if every character could be played like that.' leonardo dicaprio


photo: leonardo dicaprio in 'what's eating gilbert grape'