One of the most iconic films of the 1950’s and one of the very few films to portray teenagers as not perfect. This film also has tragic stories for its three leads of the film. If you have not seen it spoilers will be ahead. I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE.
Jim Stark (James Dean) is arrested for being publicly drunk and is taken to the local juvenile division of the local police. He meets two other teens: John Crawford aka Plato (Sal Mineo) and Judy (Natalie Wood). Plato was arrested for shooting dead puppies while Judy broke curfew. Problems at home are soon revealed for all three teens: Jim is angry with his parents constant bickering and his father failing to stand up for himself (he screams “You’re TEARING ME APART” when they fight at the station, an iconic line from the movie), Judy believes her father does not love her anymore because she is no longer a little girl and the clothes she wears only cause more resentment, and finally Plato’s mother is never around. The next day at school Jim, who has become enamored with Judy, offers her a ride home only to be stopped by her “friends” a gang of teens. Their leader Buzz (Corey Allen) challenges Jim to a knife fight, with Jim almost winning. Buzz then asks for a chicken run with stolen cars. Jim agrees and Plato comes along, seeing Jim almost as a father figure. The chicken run tragically does not go as planned and Jim, Plato and Judy are forced to deal with their home lives, the gang coming after them as well as become closer together, almost acting out a fantasy as a family. I will say this if you expect this film to have a happy ending, brace yourself.
This has been listed multiple times as one of the best films ever made, and with good reason. It was not only well written and well-acted this was one of the few films back then that showed not all home lives were picture perfect: teenagers acting out, families arguing, gangs, young tragic deaths, etc. The performances by Dean, Wood and Mineo are the best parts of the film, Mineo and Wood nominated for Oscars and Dean’s going down as the best performance of his career, which makes their stories more tragic. Dean, just off his Oscar nominated role of East of Eden, died in a car accident on September 30, 1955 before the film was released. Mineo was murdered on February 12, 1976 and finally Natalie Wood drowned on November 29, 1981, a case that is still in the news. Tragic stories for a movie with many tragedies in the plot itself. I would highly recommend watching Rebel Without A Cause as soon as possible, it is that good.
Films or Television Worth Watching 