Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
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A group of troubled teenagers navigate the complexities of adolescence and family conflict in mid-1950s Los Angeles.
The story
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. At the station he crosses paths with John "Plato" Crawford, who was brought in for killing a litter of puppies, and Judy, who was brought in for curfew violation. The three separately reveal their innermost frustrations to the officers; all three of them suffer from problems at home. Jim feels anguished by his constantly bickering parents, Frank and Carol, but even more so by his timid father's failure to stand up to Carol; the issues are further complicated by Frank's interfering mother. His frustrations are made manifest to officer Ray Fremick when Jim is released to their custody.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Los Angeles during the mid-1950s, teenager Jim Stark is arrested for public intoxication and meets Judy and John "Plato" Crawford at a police station. All three struggle with troubled home lives. Jim is haunted by his parents' bickering and his father's passivity. Judy seeks attention through provocative clothing, while Plato is left by his mother and father. The three become bonded as they navigate high school and a dangerous 'Chickie Run' where a gang leader, Buzz, dies in a car crash. Jim and Judy fall in love, while Plato becomes obsessed with Jim. After a series of escalating tensions, including a confrontation at a mansion and a final standoff at the Griffith Observatory, Plato is shot and killed by police while trying to protect Jim and Judy. In the aftermath, Jim's father vows to be a better father, and Jim introduces his parents to Judy.
- First release year
- 1955
- Runtime (minutes)
- 111
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Nicholas Ray
- Writers
- Stewart Stern · screenplay; Irving Shulman · adaptation; Nicholas Ray · story
- Cast and characters
- James Dean · Jim Stark; Natalie Wood · Judy; Sal Mineo · Plato; Jim Backus; Ann Doran; Corey Allen; William Hopper
- Genres
- coming-of-age; melodrama
- Themes
- generation gap; adolescent rebellion; family dysfunction
- Tone and mood
- melodramatic; tense
- Setting
- Los Angeles, mid-1950s
- Premise and plot tags
- coming-of-age; teen drama; social commentary
- Source material / true-story basis
- Rebel Without a Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath by Robert M. Lindner
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews upon release, with critics praising James Dean's performance while others criticized the direction and script. It has since achieved landmark status and was selected for preservation in the Library of Congress's National Film Registry.
- Production trivia
- The film was originally intended to be shot in black-and-white but was switched to color after James Dean was identified as a rising star.; The title was taken from a 1944 book by psychologist Robert M. Lindner.; The film was shot in the CinemaScope format.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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