Warner Brothers, How Agent Carter Will Capture Hollywood Glam in Season Two, RT25: Celebrating 25 years of Rotten Tomatoes. Distributor: Attempts to create a film version in the late 1940s eventually ended without a film or even a full script being produced. Jims threats to go to the police with the story of his involvement in Buzzs death are met with great resistance from his parents. To meet the story requirement of becoming, parents must come to the realization that their children are growing up in a much different time than they did, and respect the difficulties these times engender. Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 teen drama film directed by Nicholas Ray in which James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo deal with Angst.Notably averts the Teens Are Monsters mindset of the '50s era.. Dean is Jim Stark, a Troubled, but Cute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. (Stern 115-116). Not surprisingly, the landmark Rebel Without a Cause was chosen as one of the all-time Top 100 American Films by the American Film Institute.Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo received Academy Award nominations for their achingly true performances and writer/director Nicholas Ray was also an Oscar nominee (\"Best Writing\"). The fathers arms envelop him. Frank recollects his own drunken antics as a teen, as a way to excuse his sons: I guess I cut pretty loose in my day too (Stern 12). Jim Stark (James Dean) and his parents (Jim Backus and Ann Doran) have recently relocated to Los Angeles. When that leads to an accident and a death, Jim wants to go to the police but his parents refuse to let him do so. Frank contemplates that the boy with the gun in the planetarium may be his son. I dont know! (Stern 52). From Oscar-winning films like Call Me By Your NameorMoonlight to critically acclaimed TV shows like Love, Victor and Euphoria, theres an abundance of productions that feature young LGBTQ characters discovering and accepting their sexuality. Then Stewart Stern came in, and though he may have initially been hired to collaborate with Shulman, later drafts became Sterns alone as his sensibility and Rays merged. Frank thinks if he is a pal to Jim and relates to his son using his own adolescence as a guideline, that everything will be just peachy, which of course does not hold true. When Jack L. Warner realized James Dean was a rising star and a hot property, filming was switched to color stock, and many scenes had to be reshot in color. He always wants to be my pal, you know? The facthe is often seen gazing adoringly at Jim and has a picture of Hollywood heart-throb Alan Ladd taped inside his school locker has seen the character cited as one of the first gay teenage characters in film history. The story of the making of Rebel Without a Cause actually goes back nearly a decade before it arrived in theaters in 1955, to a book of the same name by Dr. Robert Lindner. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Why David Duchovny's Trans Twin Peaks Character Denise Was So Groundbreaking, Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride Of Making Rebel Without A Cause, How John Waters Shaped The Simpsons Groundbreaking LGBTQ+ Episode, Top Gun 3 Should Still Use Maverick's Dark Dropped Sequel Story, Quentin Tarantino's Next Movie Breaks A Tradition For The First Time Since 1997, 5 Ways Keanu Reeves Can Return For John Wick 5. Is "Rebel Without a Cause" based on a book? Jim: MomDadthis is my friend. Getting money isnt the problem of teen-agers in Rebel. a rebel without a cause phrase. Jims inability to communicate with his parents and other adults . In that less tolerant era, this meant depictions of homosexuality in film was a no-no. He even helped choreograph the knife fight based on a real encounter he had with another gang member. Upon meeting Jim, Platoa friendless misfitimmediately looks up to him as a father figure. Jim Stark is a troubled youth who constantly seems to get into trouble. When Rebel Without a Cause was released, it was a massive hit with young audiences. The scene was considered unproductive to the story's progression by head editor William H. Ziegler and ultimately was cut. In the opening scene, Jim is brought into the police station for public drunkenness. Dean played Jim, a troubled but sensitive teenager who, although rejecting his elders values, desperately wants to belong and have purpose in his life. Then, in the 1950s, black and white films about rebellious teensincluding The Wild One (1953) and The Blackboard Jungle (1955)spiked in popularity. I put quotations around the words "essential" in that one line because, really, I'm not totally sure what essential means really when it comes to seeing films from that decade. (Stern 13) Plato: (with hate) I dont want you for my father. An example of an unessential restriction put on the requirement of becoming is illustrated by Platos desire to be part of a happy family with Jim as his father: What he doesnt do is stand up for Jim and face their problems in a straight forward manner. Mother: Do I have to spell it out? After explaining she had a fight with her father, the juvenile officer asks: Do you think you can get back at your dad that way? (Stern 6); Buzz tests Judys loyalty after observing her walking with Jim; Buzz challenges Jim at the planetarium, This is the test, man. More that any other film, in fact, Rebel sympathizes with youth. Rebel Without a Cause was also being shot in the widescreen format CinemaScope, though (which frustrated Ray, who couldnt figure out how to fill the frame), and it turned out there was a clause in the CinemaScope licensing agreement which said all CinemaScope films must also be color films. While searching for some stability, Stark forms a bond with a disturbed classmate, Plato, and falls for local girl Judy. Jim demands immediate responses from his father, which Frank is unable to give. Jims friendship with Plato and Judy moves forward after Buzzs death. . For the Stark family to be a happy, functional family, Frank must overcome his weaknesses and become a real father to Jim; to be part of a peer group family, one must first become friends with the gang; and so forth. Jim and Frank attain the experience necessary to be a man. Frank tries to relate to what Jim is going through, such as starting a new school, by regaling his son with memories of his own experiences. Some things in the movie may not have aged that well, but it still pulses with youthful energy and impresses with the psychological complexity of its characters - and it should always be remembered for James Dean's iconic looks and performance that spoke to a generation. The opening of Rebel Without a Cause introduces three upper middle class rebellious teens, Jim, Judy, and Plato, and their respective troubled family relationships. When some of the teenagers go after Jim thinking he might go to the police, tragedy ensues. Privacy Policy Jim beats Buzz in the knife fight, knocking the switchblade out of his hand and pressing the blade of his own knife against Buzz's neck, and then throws it away. He pushes the officers aside shouting: Let him alone! Jim looks to his father to support him in his decision to go to the police about chickie race tragedy. He's new in town - they moved because Jim had gotten himself into some kind of trouble - and he seems to be starting off where he left off when the police pick him up for being drunk on the street. Dawson High School, the school in the film, was actually Santa Monica High School, located in Santa Monica, California. They make mush out of him. I dont see how we can get out of that by pretending it didnt happen (Stern 72); Judy sobs to the juvenile officer: . Rebel Without a Cause is a searing melodrama featuring keen insight into '50s juvenile attitude and James Dean's cool, iconic performance. He is intelligent enough to question potential trouble, and looks to his father for advice. Just confirm how you got your ticket. He explains the importance of taking this step, but instead of giving the guidance that Jim needs his father can only offer empty platitudes as to why he shouldnt make himself vulnerable to the law and potential trouble. Ray and Stern both believed that the film should be shot like a B movie, with a grittier style that was perfectly suited to black-and-white, and Ray even began production by shooting this way. The 1949 Mercury two-door sedan James Dean drove in the movie is part of the permanent collection at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada. Franks constant worrying emasculates him in his sons eyes. (Stern 116). By the time filming on Rebel Without a Cause began, Ray and Dean had more than a typical director/star relationship. . Peary remarks: Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. All of the sudden shes a problem. . Jim lacks the experience necessary to deal with the problems facing him. Jim Stark is a vulnerable, sensitive, self-destructive loner (Peary 283) who is trying to make friends in a new town and find peace and parental guidance within his own home. Jims ability to create a fantasy family for himself, Judy, and Plato evinces his belief that an imaginary happy family life can be turned into a reality. In 1954 Ray brought his idea, in the form of a treatment called The Blind Run, to Warner Bros., who bought the idea and ultimately asked Ray to merge it with their existing ownership of the Rebel Without a Cause book. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/a+rebel+without+a+cause. Mother: I still think you should go down. The father comes and pushes them aside. In Rebel Without a Cause, the themes of the 1950s were shown greatly throughout. . Oct 27, 1955 As an example of his family not addressing serious issues, they move from town to town leaving at the first hint of difficulty and not allowing for healthy problem solving. In one of the most influential performances in movie history, James Dean plays Jim, the new kid in town whose loneliness, frustration and anger mirrored those of postwar teens -- and still reverberates more than 50 years later. The story of the making of Rebel Without a Cause actually goes back nearly a decade before it arrived in theaters in 1955, to a book of the same name by Dr . Jim demands immediate and straight forward answers to his problems, and his fathers theorizing gets him nowhere. Filmed in the then recently introduced CinemaScope format and directed by Nicholas Ray, it offered both social commentary and an alternative to previous films depicting delinquents in urban slum environments. You must have had a reason (Stern 13). Jim considers his family environment a zoo; Jim is the new kid in town trying to fit in; and so forth. Marlon Brando as a surly motorcycle gang leader in "The Wild One" (1953), James Dean in 1955 . Franks lack of confidence keeps him from being the kind of man his family can respect. (He stops as he sees the emptiness in them.) Though he finds some of this in his relation with Judy, and a form of it in both Plato's adulation and Ray's real concern for him, Jim must still prove himself to his peers in switchblade knife fights and "chickie" games in which cars race toward a seaside cliff. You watch it now, you know he had the hots for James Dean. For example, Jims parents are not concerned enough to realize he is not in his bed; Judys parents let her flounce out the door without knowing where she is going, when she had been picked up wandering aimlessly around only the night before; the police officer isnt concerned enough to bother with Jim when he comes in to relay his part in Buzzs death; and so forth. Its really James but he likes Jim more. It's not a sort of seminal, staggeringly entertaining and artistically satisfying work about being an outsider in the 50s like On the Waterfront or even one most people wouldn't think of like Ikiru. 1. Feel free to send us your trailer requests and we will do our best to hunt it down. In their book Live Fast, Die Young: The Wild Ride Of Making Rebel Without A Cause, film critics Lawrence Frascella and Al Weisel note that an earlier version of the movies script even featured a scene in which Jim and Plato shared a kiss. (Stern 58). . Let me try to be as strong as you want me to be (Stern 116). Does life always give second chances? Ray got the point rather quickly, and gave Mazzola an office next to his during production. Get the freshest reviews, news, and more delivered right to your inbox! Until Frank can truly take on the role of a parent, there is conflict between father and son. Jim expresses his need to come clean to the police. (Stern 68). Shortly after moving to Los Angeles with his parents, 17-year-old Jim Stark (James Dean) enrolls at Dawson High School. Father: Sonthis is all happening so fast However, Judy is the girlfriend of neighborhood tough, Buzz. Despite outdated touches -- these punks don't listen to rock music, but rather big-band swing -- Rebel Without a Cause still comes on strong. So we fought and some cars were smashed, some people were really hurt, and then Nick said cut, and that was that, Jack Grinnage, who played Moose, recalled. People he really likeshe lets call him Jamie. (Stern 58). The parents nod warmly and smile at her. [14], Reviewer Jack Moffitt of The Hollywood Reporter, who correctly thought the film would be a money maker, wrote a less critical, more laudatory review. Your Ticket Confirmation # is located under the header in your email that reads "Your Ticket Reservation Details". That, plus Warner Bros.'s desire to invest more in the film as juvenile delinquent pictures became even trendier, led to the switch. Warner Bros. Production Co: Jim: What would you do, Dad? The goal of common concern to all the objective characters is to be part of a happy, functional family, whether their own or as part of a peer group. Cinemark A benefit accrued by Jim and Judy on the way to the goal of being part of a functional family is their developing romance; Jim feels confident enough in the way things are going, such as his interest in Judy, to remark to his parents: You know something? Deans death made the film a must-see, but the making of the film made it a classic that endures today. With its densely expressive images, the film has been called a "landmark a quantum leap forward in the artistic and technical evolution of a format."[12]. It stopped. Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American coming-of-age drama film about emotionally confused suburban, middle-class teenagers. Dean died in a car crash at age 24; Mineo was stabbed to death at 37; and Wood drowned amid mysterious circumstances at 43. In 1953, he got the chance to play a rebellious young man after all, starring in The Wild One. The more Frank can gain control in the family, the more respect Jim is able to give him and the closer the two can be. Plato, who momentarily cannot find his mother and father (Jim and Judy) feels abandoned once again and fires at Jim in anger. Jim: And they think they are protecting me by moving. Franks good intentions also include buying gifts for his son, and buying his sons way out of trouble. He clutches at his father, crying unashamedly. When Jim takes the ammunition clip out of Plato's pistol, he fails to remove the round that would have already been housed in the chamber. For me though, "essential" is a very subjective term, and one person's essential being this film is another one's essential being Bigger Than Life or In a Lonely Place, films that get some notice in the film circles but not enough when placed against a film like the one here. . By what name was Rebel Without a Cause (1955) officially released in India in Hindi? Mother: Are you going down there? The scenes that follow depict these teens as they try to fit in with their peers and find the love they so desperately need from their families. It also taps into a feeling of existentialism, of meaninglessness on a larger scale, with an outstanding scene in the planetarium where Dean's class listen to the lecturer say "to the infinite reaches of space, the problems of man seem trivial and naive indeed. [13], Rebel Without a Cause holds a 93% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 54 reviews, with an average rating of 8.20/10. Jim drives back home, and finds Judy waiting for him. He is the new kid at their school, the outsider, the misfit, whose parents don't understand him. As they explore their relationship, it becomes evident to Frank that Jim does not respect him as a man or father, yet at the same time is desperate for his father to fulfill those roles. In Los Angeles during the mid-1950s, teenager Jim Stark is arrested and taken to the juvenile division of a police station for public intoxication. Just mush. She smiles shyly in response, happy at being accepted. Then, a fortuitous development in the life of another of Giants stars changed everything: Elizabeth Taylor was pregnant, which meant the film had to be delayed until June of 1955. The cold and righteous attitude Franks mother exhibits has caused him to smother his own child with friendship and affection, but without the authority and discipline his son needs. Routine check. You've reached the "hub" for any and all Dramatica analysis of Rebel Without a Cause. . Irving Shulman, Jim Stark is a lonely kid who supposedly hasnt a friend in the world when we first see him lying drunk in an L.A. gutter, but his personality is such that within a twenty-four-hour period he makes friends with Plato, Buzz, and Judy, three teen-agers completely different from each other and himself. if you could only have been my father . Mazzola, a graduate of Hollywood High School, was also a member of The Athenians, a gang that Mazzola himself referred to as a social club that was nonetheless very tough and territorial. Because Jim has determined his castrating mother and grandmother are why his father is a chicken, he makes every effort not to turn out the same way. Franks structured explanations make problems for Jim. Plato, Jim, and Judy invent an imaginary family life, relieving their angst for a few carefree moments. Jim: Your father! Once Frank is able to realize his own worth, especially as a parent to Jim, he can stand up for himself and his son. After moving to a new town, troublemaking teen Jim Stark is supposed to have a clean slate, although being the new kid in town brings its own problems. You must have had a reason. Financial Times. His book. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Frank is entrenched in a fixed way of thinking. One actress who was not a contender at first was Natalie Wood, who Ray was hesitant to consider because of her early career, and thus public reputation, as an innocent child star. Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary, the webmaster's page for free fun content, a reed before the wind lives on(, while mighty oaks do fall), a riddle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in an enigma, a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma, A Red Indian Thought He Might Eat Tomatoes in Church. He was best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film Rebel Without a Cause (1955), which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at age 17, making him the fifth-youngest nominee in the category. Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head: Season 2, Link to The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Season 5, Link to Marvel Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer, Link to RT25: Celebrating 25 Years of Rotten Tomatoes, Link to Betty Gilpin & Co. on Deciphering. How the teens adjust to the psychological trauma of becoming adultsand how the adults in their lives contend with these changes, is the standard by which progress is measured in the objective story. Mother: Shell outgrow it, dear. , it was a no-no with his parents ( jim Backus and Ann Doran ) have relocated! Fact, Rebel sympathizes with youth a Cause William H. Ziegler and ultimately was cut: I. Father to support him in his sons way out of trouble school students spell out. 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