James Dean

Plot synopsis:
At eight years old, James Dean lives with his estranged father Winton and mother Mildred in 1939 Santa Monica, California. When Mildred dies of cancer in 1940, Winton sends James on a train to Fairmount, Indiana, along with the coffin containing her body. Winton does not show up at the funeral, leaving James to be raised by his aunt and uncle on a farm in Fairmount. Over the years, he becomes more curious about his father's decision to abandon him. He tries to impress him by sending him a package displaying his various athletic trophies in high school sports.
James moves back to Santa Monica in June 1949, shortly after high school graduation, and finds that Winton has remarried. He decides to become an actor and takes classes under James Whitmore. Whitmore is impressed by his acting ability, which encourages him to move to New York City in September 1951 to pursue an acting career. Despite being a struggling actor, he enjoys the new lifestyle. He befriends fellow actor Martin Landau and has a romantic relationship with Christine White. Both are accepted into the prestigious Actors Studio. He receives critical acclaim in Broadway theatre productions and for a role in a television movie drama that is broadcast nationwide. He tries to tell Winton about his successful rise in acting, but his father still reacts with indifference, causing more emotional turmoil for him.
Film producer-director Elia Kazan hires James for the leading role in East of Eden (1955), marking his Hollywood debut. He moves to Hollywood in April 1954 to begin filming for Eden and is introduced to Jack L. Warner, the stern president of Warner Bros. Studios who is determined to transform him into a movie star. Warner becomes suspicious of his personal life (such as his possible bisexuality and passions for auto racing and motorcycling). On the Warner Bros. backlot, he falls in love with actress Pier Angeli, who is working on the neighboring production of The Silver Chalice (1954).
Despite concerns from Pier's domineering mother, James and his girlfriend buy a beach house in which they live together. Meanwhile, eccentric director Nicholas Ray casts him in the lead role for Rebel Without a Cause (1955). He once again hopes to impress his father with his rising movie star career in Hollywood, but Winton persists with his indifference. When East of Eden debuts, Warner is furious that he does not show up at the premiere. He considers shutting down production of Rebel Without a Cause, but he drops the idea due to James's praised performance in Eden. Later, he finds out that Warner sided with Pier's mother over his break up with her. She ends up marrying Vic Damone, while James then signs a one million dollar contract with Warner Bros. and is cast in Giant (1956). His mental breakdowns become more apparent when he starts conflicting with director George Stevens.
Angered with his life, James decides to learn the truth about his father's disinterest toward him since he was eight years old. Winton tells him that his real father was a man with whom his mother had an affair during the marriage and that he did not have the courage to raise him, not being his real father. With his inner demons resolved, he begins to enjoy life once more and adopts a friendly relationship with director Stevens. Shortly afterward, he dies in a car crash that shocks the film industry and the general public. En route on a train to Indiana, Winton sits next to his coffin in the storage room.

Tags: romantic, flashback

Review:
After we saw "Rebel," all of us wanted red jackets like the one he wore in that movie.In this new movie, a young actor named James Franco plays James Dean, and he beautifully conveys not only the angst and many of the distinctive mannerisms but also some of James Dean's offbeat humor.
I suppose one reason Franco was chosen to play Dean is that he looks like him.
This production takes in many of the well known accomplishments of James Dean's career and includes significant personal events in his life.
The interface with James Dean's father, excellently played by Michael Moriarty, is central to this story.
A moving performance by James Franco who steps into the shoes of James Dean and makes us love him all the more..
For me, what makes this movie work is the way they portray James Dean.
I am yet another James Franco admirer for his incredible job in playing Dean, and I also like the way he was looked upon.
This is a good movie for getting a whole new generation of people watching James Dean.
This is a good movie for going more inside the personality and mind of James Dean.
I think whoever chose which way to go with the interpretation must have really liked James Dean when everything comes down to it, as well as the director Mark Rydell.
Going for this TNT movie is the performance of young James Franco as James Dean.
Dean's real life was far more interesting than this production showed and he was a far more complex , talented, and tormented individual than he was depicted in this movie.
James Franco brilliantly channels James Dean in what is easily one of the best made-for-television movies ever made.
Franco delivers a knockout performance in his portrayal of one of the most celebrated teen idols of all time.The movie opens with Dean filming a scene from East of Eden, adding his own personal twist to the shot.
James Franco did a completely spectacular job in James Dean and with the performance he gave he has really set the bar for all actors everywhere, from the past and for years to come.
I watched this film with the idea I was going to hate it as I have all other attempts to recreate the life of James Dean, especially the one starring Casper Van Dien, which was deplorable.
I would've like to've seen more off-camera interaction between James and Julie Harris...and later on, when he became friends with Elizabeth Taylor and an enemy of Rock Hudson, two people that played predominant roles in the final days of James' life.
What we have as a final product, despite a nice performance by James Franco as the legendary James Dean, is little more than celebration of the man as a mythical pop culture icon.
Everything about James Dean, as portrayed here, seems less like insight into his background and his rise from a poor, Indiana teen to iconic actor who's life was cut short mid-success, and more like James Dean as a piece of staged dramas only adding more to creating a mythical creature and less to explaining a real person.Consider, for example, if you were a viewer who had known little about James Dean.
I think the other dilemma of making a film about James Dean is that he was so young and still in the process of rising to fame when he died, that there doesn't seem to be many significant points of his life that can be stretched into an hour and a half film.
Not knowing much about James Dean, I don't know if there was much in his young life that could merit filling the time for a movie.
Unlike most everyone else who commented here, i saw this film because I am a major (and a bit obsessed) James Dean fan, not a James Franco fan.
This film biography of 1950's Hollywood legend James Dean highlights his public life and the estranged relationship that he had with his father.
And so, the cinematic result here is shallow and superficial.The film stars James Franco, as Dean.
In addition, Franco seems too young and innocent, compared to the real James Dean, a person who looked older than his years, and more sophisticated.Actually, it is the secondary performances that lift the film's overall acting quality.
The photographic stills of Hollywood and Manhattan, when combined with the jazzy background music, add authenticity to the story's settings, and therefore depth and texture to the film.For viewers who know little or nothing about the real James Dean, this superficial flick is worth watching, with the proviso that the film touches only on the most obvious aspects of Dean's life.
This movie is about the relatively short life of James Dean.
The movie doesn't maintain my attention because I want to know more about Dean's life, but instead it is because I am drawn to its lead James Franco.
Franco not only looks like Dean, in the movie he exudes a charisma that could possibly parallel Dean's.
It is through his acting that those of us who have never seen a James Dean movie are drawn into his life.
We are sympathetic with Dean's relationship with his cold and distant father; we are annoyed by Jack Warner's attempts to control this wild child; and most importantly, we feel an ache when we watch the world lose the Rebel Without a Cause.Up to now, Franco's two biggest claims to fame were this unfortunately little-seen TV movie, and his role as the Green Goblin's bitter son in the recent hit movie Spider-Man, which had him spouting cheesy lines like "I swear to my father's grave Spider-Man is going to pay." However, his next role has him as third lead against Academy Award-winners Robert De Niro and Frances McDormand.
So i tuned in watching James Franco portray James Dean with an uncanny accuracy and it taught me a lot about his life and his struggle with family issues.
James Byron Dean was surely one of the greatest actors of his time and although sometimes "difficult" on the set he still could act wonderfully.
I've read his biographies, I've watched the movies he was in and I've found out from interviews what he was seemingly like in "real life".
And the guy who played him didn't look enough like James Dean.
There are going to be, among the older crowd, some (maybe many) who will say that James Franco didn't really look a lot like James Dean, and that he wasn't able to bring the magic of James Dean to the screen.
Well, "Duh-uh."  If they can make a man or woman look more like an ape than an ape does, they could have recreated a rubber-masked James Franco who would have been a dead ringer.
I have been waiting for probablly two years now for this movie to come out, because I am a huge James Dean fan, I have read many biographies on him, and done much research, and what TNT produced should be looked at more as a Tale, rather then a biogrpahy.
The sides of James Dean shown in this movie were off, and more what the public believed rather then the actual man, and Legend.
There was nothing I didn't already know about James Dean in this movie.
The only part of the movie that impressed me was James Franco,, who did a great job playing Dean.
James Franco, the actress that played Pier Angeli ,and the actor that portrayed Elia Kazan helped bring this movie more to life.
I have been a fan of Jimmy Dean for over 18 years and I enjoyed this movie and i thought it gave a lot more and better detail than 'Race with Destiny' However, There were a few untruths in the movie, for one, Pier Angeli hated speed, and hated Jimmy driving the way he did, she slowed him down and by no means got in a car with him and helped him steer round a curve doing 50MPH!
The movie didn't concentrate on this relationship enough considering it affected his life at the time and thereafter.Secondly, there was a scene when Winton Dean told Jimmy that he was told by his dying wife Mildred that Jimmy may not be his, and thats why he's so distant.
Maybe it was their interpretation of why Winton was cold, but if it was, its certainly a sensitive issue and they had no right to speculate!Although i thought James Franco was brilliant (handsome too) and at some points in the movie i actually thought i was staring at Jimmy, Sometimes i thought he was made to look a complete dork.
The film chooses to imitate Deanesque mannerisms and play through episodic anecdotes rather than try to closely examine even a small part of Dean's life.
However, I must admit I had fun watching it and James Franco really did look a lot like Dean most of the time.
a film about James Dean who represents a great job.
James Dean by Franco is alive and vulnerable in the form who defines his characters in better manner.
An okay movie worth watching for James Franco's stunning portrayal.
This is an okay made for TV movie that is worth catching because of James Franco's absolutely amazing performance.
He simply becomes James Dean, completely embodying the film icon; the swagger, the sneer, the cigarette, the angst, the weirdness.As a biography this focuses heavily on the difficult relationship Dean had with his absentee father, while also giving us glimpses of his years as a starving actor, sudden rise to fame and short movie career (three starring roles in two years.) There's also plenty of shots of "Little Bastard," the car he was driving when he crashed at the age of 24.Franco's portrayal didn't particularly make me like James Dean, he comes across like a bit of a dick, definitely troubled and strange but I think its probably accurate.
If a student submitted that screenplay to me, I would say, "Nice rough draft - Now go back and polish it so that every syllable and image is pristine." Recently, I have been entranced by Franco's portrayal of Daniel in reruns of the 1999 television release of "Freaks and Geeks." In that role, Franco seizes upon moments to behave crudely, with great refinement and sensitivity, immaturely, and in a continuum of gestures indicating the growth of his character.Two nights ago, I watched the 2001 television biopic, "James Dean." In one of the first scenes, I sat up straight.
His portrayal of Allen Ginsberg, though daring, did not capture or keep my interest or attention."James Dean" is a movie which, very much like the life of the real James Dean, I hated to see end..
(Not some poorly prepared script that really doesn't show Deans true story) Also, in my mind..a biographical film would have to be animated with some new technology to look great and come close to any authenticity.
I would like to begin by truly saying that James Dean was an actor that met his end before we, as cinema watchers, were fully about to appreciate his talent as well as full body of work.
The short three films that he devoted himself to wasn't enough for my taste buds, and I think the majority of film aficionados would heartily agree  yet I would have to say that those seeking the knowledge of James Dean, the truth behind his life and his devotion to youthfulness  should not (repeat NOT) watch this horrid film.
Dean was played by Spiderman's egotistical villain (hell-bent on saving his father's name), James Franco.
What I wanted to see, and what this film needed to be a pivotal biopic about James Dean, were a foundation based around strong supporting characters adding to the destabilized life that Dean lead.
In fact, most of the films that go beyond that point do very well (i.e. see some of Stephen King's miniseries), but for James Dean it felt rushed, fast, and completely underdeveloped.
I think not my friend, which is why I cannot accept this film as a "real" biography of James Dean.
I urge anyone with a passing interest in 'old Hollywood',theacting scene in the '50s,and most especially the incredibly powerful bond between a sensitive boy and his absent father, and the damaging repercusions that this rejection can elicit would do well to give this version of James Deans life a look.
Franco did just about the best job anyone could do playing James Dean...
james franco is not a good james dean.the movie is well made.BUT THAT JUST IS NOT JAMES DEAN.so many actors have tried over the years to capture his magic not one has so far.the main thing about james dean is you can watch his films over and over again and not once will you ever catch him acting, in every scene you believe he his that person.
I have seen the way James Franco looks now and he looks more like him today than he did when he portrayed him in 2001 or whenever they filmed the television movie.Aside from that, I felt that casting directors should have signed the talented gorgeous actress Alyssa Milano to portray the late beautiful actress and love of James Dean's life Anna Maria Pierangeli (better known by her stage name Pier Angeli)instead of the Italian actress who portrayed her.
Yet, as of now, people still cherish James Dean as a recognizable actor who died too young; as of 2005, I only pray that James Franco doesn't leave us anytime soon as he continues to make movies..
I taped James Dean not really knowing who or what it was about, only because Franco is cute.
I love James franco and I'm going to see every movie.
I loved this movie, I thought John Franco was the perfect cast for James Dean.
While I'm not a James Dean fan, I still thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and Franco's performance was amazing.
James Franco does a brilliant job of playing American Icon James Dean.
If only all made for tv movies were this good.**** out of **** stars.If James Franco doesnt win an emmy, it will be a crime..
Great movie if your a James Dean fan..
James Dean, a 2001 television movie directed by Mark Rydell introduces us to James Dean's life and relationships, especially to the relationship with his father.
At New York this aspiring young adult got roles and eventually a contract with a movie studio, moving back to California.Everyone knows James Dean.
He becomes James Franco in this movie.
It is magnificent to see an actor so talented as James Franco playing an actor so talented as James Dean was.This movie is an interesting look into James Dean's life.
It is a relationship that probably shaped James Dean most as a person; he felt like everyone else loves and wants to be with him, except the one person he really wanted to be with; his father.
Michael Moriarty does great job as James's dad, a man who does not know how to show his feelings and tell his son that he is respected.After watching this and 127 hours I have seen a completely new side of James Franco.
James Franco's work shows what a good actor is like; devoted and able to mold into different roles.
If some actor needs more hype in Hollywood, it must be James Franco..
Now every time I watch Franco, it's like I'm watchin' Dean!
James Dean's life story gets a TV movie of the week treatment.
If you just want a cursory insight into James Dean then this film is the way to go.
I saw James Franco in CITY BY THE SEA with Robert Deniro for the first time......,and said man that guy could play James Dean!!!
I saw James Franco in CITY BY THE SEA with Robert Deniro for the first time......,and said man that guy could play James Dean!!!
Bit Off. For any of us true James Dean fans obvious it was great to see the story of our icon.
When watching this T.V. event it was just as easy to see the things that actually happened compared to the stuff TNT obviously made up.THE FLAWS- a true James Dean historian as myself would know that the end meeting between Jim and his father never did happen.
I love watching biopic films and have seen my share of films based on legendary icons and figures like Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Elvis, and now James Dean.
When I saw this "James Dean" film, I felt like James Franco was going through the motions.
If you are a James Dean fan then I recommend watching this film.
This is definitely one of the better films based on Dean's life out there and is worth seeing..
A biopic about the life of the legendary James Dean , played by James Franco..
James Franco does a decent job playing Dean, although he doesn't really even attempt to mimic his voice or his mannerisms much.
James Dean is a biographical TV movie based on the life of the American actor of the same name.
James Franco plays James Dean under the direction of Mark Rydell, who chronicles Dean's rise from a struggling actor to an A-list movie star in 1950s.
Great Performance by James Franco, But....
The aspects of his life that actually did happen in the film were exaggerated or otherwise just presented in such a way as to parallel James Dean to Cal Trask.
And the film's presentation of Elia Kazan as James Dean's biggest fan is completely false!
What I found really strange was that the film completely left out a lot of the MOST controversial things that it's Proved Dean actually did, but, then again, this was a made-for-TV movie, so maybe they couldn't...So, in short, watch the film for some great performances and a fabulous presentation of the myth of James Dean, but don't take it as 100% historically accurate.