While watching this movie, the song "Ooh Child" by The Five Stairsteps played somewhere in the back of my mind. I have a soft spot for the legendary James Dean, and watching young James Franco (Freaks and Geeks) bring him to life touched my heart and thrilled my every nostalgic bone in my body.

The uncanny resemblence is but a beginning in this semi-bipoic on Dean's life. Franco had his unusal walk, his bizarre facial expressions, his moody dark side and his explosive rages down pat. He won a Golden Globe for this tv movie which should have been on the big screen. James Dean starred in three movies, Rebel Without A Cause, East of Eden and Giant and you get to see him in action on all three sets in this movie, along with his early years of trying to make it.

The movie starts off with him on the set with other actors feeling intimidated by him on the set of East of Eden, and then there are flashbacks with a young Dean, and we learn about how his rough start began, with his mother passing away at age nine, and his distant, cold, father sent him off to live with relatives and never spoke to him again until Dean was a young adult. We learn that Dean is obsessed with Marlon Brando (I can empathize!!) and he literally walks in the footsteps of Brando, right down to getting the same agent, attending the same school, and mimicking many of his hobbies/mannerisms.

But don't be fooled, Dean was a man of his own. We see him behind the scenes withhis work, we see him struggle with his rage, his oddities, his lonliness, his confusion, his thrill-seeking ways that eventually took his young life tragically. We are able to sit back and watch his talent, his turbulant romances, his wild ways, his rebellion, his heart being broken over and over again by his father who wouldn't let him in the house when he came to visit, and him caring less about his fame.

It is the stuff that movie magic is made of. There are so many comflicting emotions that Franco takes us through, that you experience Dean as a friend, as opposed to the icon. A wonderful movie that deserves everyone's attention, even if you aren't "into" Dean. This is a step back into the 50's, a truly magical time. You will enjoy the breath of fresh air, especially if you are used to watching movies that have little or no meaning.

I rented this from Netflix, and I am considering buying it now that I have seen this version of my Rebel. It would make a great gift for any baby boomer!!

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older