Movies Like What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

What's Eating Gilbert Grape is a 1993 drama, romance film from Lasse Hallström with a MovieMagicScore of 7.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Kes and Forrest Gump.

Drama Romance

Kes

1970

Bullied at school and ignored and abused at home by his indifferent mother and older brother, Billy Casper, a 15-year-old working-class Yorkshire boy, tames and trains his pet kestrel falcon whom he names Kes. Helped and encouraged by his English teacher and his fellow students, Billy finally finds a positive purpose to his unhappy existence.

7.4

MagicScore

Forrest Gump

1994

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

8.5

MagicScore

Léon Morin, Priest

1961

Barny, although a Marxist, is intrigued by the mysteries of religion. In confession, she teases a priest, Léon Morin, but he is a young and intelligent man and ready to discuss anything.

7.0

MagicScore

Yearning

1964

War widow Reiko rebuilds and runs the grocery shop in the house of her husband's family. Many years later, their business is threatened by a newly built supermarket and Reiko's in-laws plan to convert their small shop into a supermarket, to her detriment.

8.1

MagicScore

Like Water for Chocolate

1992

Tita is passionately in love with Pedro, but her controlling mother forbids her from marrying him. When Pedro marries her sister, Tita throws herself into her cooking and discovers she can transfer her emotions through the food she prepares, infecting all who eat it with her intense heartbreak.

7.3

MagicScore

A Simple Favor

2018

Stephanie, a dedicated mother and popular vlogger, befriends Emily, a mysterious upper-class woman whose son Nicky attends the same school as Miles, Stephanie's son. When Emily asks her to pick Nicky up from school and then disappears, Stephanie undertakes an investigation that will dive deep into Emily's cloudy past.

6.6

MagicScore

Antonia's Line

1995

After World War II, Antonia and her daughter, Danielle, go back to their Dutch hometown, where Antonia's late mother has bestowed a small farm upon her. There, Antonia settles down and joins a tightly-knit but unusual community. Those around her include quirky friend Crooked Finger, would-be suitor Bas and, eventually for Antonia, a granddaughter and great-granddaughter who help create a strong family of empowered women.

6.9

MagicScore

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

2024

Led by Donna and Reverend W.C. Martin, 22 families from a rural Black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster system and kickstart a movement in the process.

7.0

MagicScore

My Family and Other Animals

2005

Escaping the dreary wet weather of 1930s England, an eccentric family uproot and ship themselves to the sunnier climes of the Greek island of Corfu.

6.3

MagicScore

#10

The Straight Story

1999

A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight learns one day that his distant brother Lyle has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. Then he hits on the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.

7.7

MagicScore

#11

Once in a Lifetime

2000

Mona Bergström is a sweet eurovision-obsessed woman in her 30s. She is married to a lazy husband and has four children, all named after her favorite Swedish Eurovision popstars. Her brother is a crossdressing guy self-titled "Candy Darling". Mona works in a retirement home for disabled people, where she is responsible for taking care of a young man named David who suffers a movement-restricting disease forcing him into a wheelchair. David's parents have abandoned him, as they wanted a normal child. Mona holds a big place in David's heart, and vica versa. David's goal is to get his parents to come and visit him, and he wants to show them that he is a great person, despite his handicap. Therefore he works with music on his computer, and his goal is to create a song, send it to "The Cardigans", a famous Swedish band and have them play the song and credit him, hoping his parents would spot it and want to visit him.

4.3

MagicScore

#12

In Name Only

1939

A wealthy man falls for a widow but is locked into a loveless marriage with a woman who has contrived to convince his parents she is the ideal wife.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

Home Fries

1998

Dorian and Angus chase down their womanizing stepfather with a helicopter, frightening him to death. In his effort to cover their tracks, Dorian begins investigating his stepfather's mistress, Sally. She works at a fast-food drive-through, she's pregnant and Dorian quickly falls in love with her. Unfortunately, his scheming mother wants Sally dead. And Sally isn't sure she wants Dorian to be her child's father and also his brother.

5.1

MagicScore

#14

As They Made Us

2022

Abigail, a divorced mother of two, is struggling to balance the dynamics within her dysfunctional family as she attempts to cultivate new love.

5.2

MagicScore

#15

The Bridges of Madison County

1995

Photographer Robert Kincaid wanders into the life of housewife Francesca Johnson for four days in the 1960s.

7.7

MagicScore

#16

Two Women

1960

A young widow flees from Rome during WWII and takes her lonely twelve-year-old-daughter to her rural hometown but the horrors of war soon catch up with them.

7.8

MagicScore

#17

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles

1976

A lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores and takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. Slowly, her ritualized daily routines begin to fall apart.

7.4

MagicScore

#18

Mommy

2014

A peculiar neighbor offers hope to a recent widow who is struggling to raise a teenager who is unpredictable and, sometimes, violent.

8.2

MagicScore

#19

The King and I

1956

Widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam. Anna and the King have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the King.

7.1

MagicScore

#20

Time for You to Come Home for Christmas

2019

A recent widow travels with her son to her Virginia hometown for Christmas. On the way they meet a man who is also heading to the same destination. As they continue to spend time together, the pair grows closer.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

The top films similar to What's Eating Gilbert Grape by MovieMagicScore are Kes (7.4), Forrest Gump (8.5), Léon Morin, Priest (7.0). Each shares drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is What's Eating Gilbert Grape worth watching?

What's Eating Gilbert Grape holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.7/10 from 4,125 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) is a drama, romance film directed by Lasse Hallström, starring Johnny Depp, Juliette Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio.

Where can I find more recommendations like What's Eating Gilbert Grape?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Kes Movies like Forrest Gump Movies like Léon Morin, Priest Movies like Yearning Movies like Like Water for Chocolate Movies like A Simple Favor

About movies like What's Eating Gilbert Grape

This ranked list pairs What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), a drama and romance film from Lasse Hallström, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Johnny Depp take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

← Back to What's Eating Gilbert Grape