What's Eating Gilbert Grape: Iowa Time Machine December 17,

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On December 17, 1993, the film “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” debuted, set in a fictional Iowa town and based on a novel and screenplay by Peter Hedges of West Des Moines. The coming-of-age drama starred Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Leonardo DiCaprio, and John C. Reilly.

Hedges was born in West Des Moines, Iowa, where he was raised. He is the son of Carole (Simpson), a psychotherapist, and the Rev. Robert Boyden Hedges, an Episcopal priest. He attended Valley High School, where he was involved in the theater department, including the improvisational group and the mime troupe “The Bakers Dozen.” He later went to the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied drama before his debut novel “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” led him into screenwriting.

Despite the fictional town’s location of Endora, Iowa, filming for What's Eating Gilbert Grape began November 2, 1992, and concluded in late January 1993.[2] It was shot in Texas, in various towns and cities; Austin and Pflugerville were primary locations, as well as Manor, where the water tower featured in the film was located.

The film had a limited release on December 17, 1993, and a wide release on March 4, 1994. The wide release garnered $2,104,938 in its first weekend. It was considered a box-office bomb, with a total domestic gross for the film of $10,032,765, although it achieved greater success on home video. At age 19, DiCaprio received his first nominations for the Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, becoming the seventh-youngest Best Supporting Actor nominee for the former. #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaHistoryCalendar