* Coming of age: Gilbert is a young man trying to find his place in the world. He is torn between his responsibilities to his family and his own desires.
* Family: The movie explores the complex relationships between Gilbert, his brother Arnie, their mother Bonnie, and their grandmother.
* Loss: Gilbert is grieving the death of his father while still trying to navigate life.
* Mental illness: Arnie has a developmental disability that makes it difficult for him to function in society. Bonnie also has untreated and unstable mental health problems. These illnesses challenge the Grape family in every aspect.
* Small-town life:_ _What's Eating Gilbert Grape?_ takes place in Endora, Iowa– a fictional rural town based on real life small-town America. With an underlying poverty problem that most of the residents in town encounter, people are forced to get creative, and sometimes break the law, just to earn enough money to get by.