User Reviews

James Franco gives a marvelous performance as the ultimate anti-hero James Dean. He not only looks like James Dean, he ACTS like James Dean. Michael Moriarty does a good job as James Dean's distant father. The rest of the cast gives solid performances. And the period recreation is realistic. My only complaint is that is the telemovie is a too short, but then again, so was James Dean's life. 8/10

"East of Eden" came out when I was 21 and very impressionable, and from then on I was a James Dean fanatic. So were most of my friends, but we didn't see his other two films until after his death. We identified with the roles he played. Cal Trask, Jim Stark, and Jett Rink were just as mixed up and insecure as we were, and James Dean could play those guys because he was mixed up, too. 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. Not a lot, but there is a resemblance. He could have done a caricature of Dean, but happily he didn't fall into that trap.

Some of the writing was disappointing. The actress who plays Pier Angeli is beautiful and quite good, but what can you do with lines like "You don't understand" and "My mama won't let me"? Those are not her exact lines, but you get what I'm saying.

Dean's relationship with Jack Warner is well done. Also his relationship, or rather his lack of a relationship, with his father. But I kept wishing they'd show more about the making of the films. How did he relate to Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Carol Baker, Sal Mineo, Natalie Wood? And what were the films about? If I didn't already know James Dean's films, I still wouldn't know much about them after seeing this biography. But maybe I would be inspired to check them out.

This is a TV biopic of James Dean. It starts with director Elia Kazan (Enrico Colantoni) egging Dean on as he keeps rubbing Raymond Massey the wrong way. Then it goes back to his childhood as he loses his beloved mother. His cold distant father Winton (Michael Moriarty) would abandon him to other family members. He would never get the approval from his father that he craves so much. He would ascend through the acting world in NYC and Hollywood as well.

I'm not a big enough Dean fan to know how much truth is in this picture. However there is no denying that James Franco is the perfect guy of his generation to play the guy. It's much more than mimicry. He is channeling his spirit somehow or at least his public persona. He is really the rebel without a cause. The production is OK for a TV movie. The style is old school and functional. Watch it for Franco's performance.

James Dean is portrayed by James Franco with a remarkable resemblance in physical appearance and great sensitivity. As the events of James Dean's life unfold in the made for cable film, insight is gained into the enigmatic and tragically short life of the brilliant film star. 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. The recognition and appreciation by film industry giants contrasts with the father's lack of regard for his son. A moving performance by James Franco who steps into the shoes of James Dean and makes us love him all the more.

Wonderful. 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. A focused relationship of this film is the one between Dean and his father. After Dean's mother dies when Dean is only 9 years old, he is sent to live with his aunt and uncle. His father seems to be embarassed by him, and will not invite him into his home. Eventually, Dean's father will not see him at all.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this movie, and hope that from beyond the grave, Dean is watching, and smiling. Franco's next big role is that of Peter Parker's best friend Harry Osborn in the big-budget superhero flick Spider-Man, and I for one cannot wait.

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 have a lot a trouble believing anyone will ever be able to beat that performance and he really made me open my eyes to him. In my opinion he is the greatest actor the world has ever seen and I have a feeling no one will ever be able to change that. Not only did he become my favourite actor after seeing the movie but at the same time I've become jealous that someone could have so much talent. Keep up the good work Jimmy, many people are excepting great things from you now. Three words - "James is King."

I found this to be well cast and directed. Although it was intense and somewhat depressing, I think it accurately portrayed Mr Dean's complex personality. It was somewhat confusing at times as to what movie was

being filmed. Worth watching even if your not a James Dean fan.

I came upon this movie on television by pure accident but, i had remembered hearing of it. 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. Although he had a short 3 movie career he was praised in all 3 films (East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant). He was an incredible actor and surely would've made many more powerful movies if he hadn't passed away.



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. This movie follows his life as a boy and when his mother dies of sickness he goes to Indiana with his grandmother. James Dean had a father who didn't really appreciate him, he wouldn't even hug him back. But the worst part Mr. Dean didn't even show up to the funeral of the mother, in fact he never came. James lives with is aunt and uncle and likes to do things like ride his motorcycle and play basketball. Now after his high school education is over he is gone to his old home in California to go to a business community college. He now meets his father again, his father and new wife say they will let him stay at their house until he gets back on his feet. When James decides to study acting instead they will have no part of it and he isn't welcome any more. Then it follows his days at acting school and in New York as a struggling actor. It also follows him on the sets of his movies. His love for motorcycles and fast cars finally kills him and right after he has a emotional moment with his father and they now understand each other. His life was too short.

Please I urge you to go see this movie on TNT you will be moved.

The James Dean movie might have been done much better had it been a feature film rather than one susceptible to the limitations of a made for TV movie. That is, where the filmmakers have to be wary of time and probably, content constraints. 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. Even the more "authentic" emotional moments such as the rocky relationship between the young actor and his estranged father are so tightly bound in overt dramatizations rather than something more lifelike. 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. Perhaps you had watched a few movies or, like Elvis, had always noticed him as the "understood" representation of juvenile disillusionment and delinquency (more the latter than the former, since our culture celebrates rebellion more so than simple dissatisfaction). But after having watched this film, what do you really learn 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. Here, we do get a little, but not really much to play around with. Other than seeing bits about the girl at the studio he meets and becomes friendly with, the Italian actress he lives with for a while, befriending Martin Landau, and the relationship with his father, there really isn't much to go on. 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. It may be that those who were closest to him that could really give the trivia about his background have passed on. It seems that, if he was as distant as they claim him to be, maybe it was hard to get the story behind the man even by those who knew him in real life. But perhaps this is the reason why the subplot with his father seems so entirely forced.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of style, but very little substance. And it may not have entirely been the fault of the filmmakers.

Mark Rydell's "James Dean" has some good things going for it. It also has some serious flaws because it ventured into areas which were completely speculative and inaccurate. Going for this TNT movie is the performance of young James Franco as James Dean. Franco's performance was more imitation than interpretation, but Franco had Dean's mannerisms and motions down pat. Michael Moriarity as Winton Dean and Sam Gould as Martin Landau also gave strong performances. The film captured the pathos of Dean's early life due to the death of his mother and rejection by his father-- emotional blows from which Dean never fully recovered. The "bad" and downright "ugly" about this production are the many glaring inaccuracies about Dean's life. Any serious Dean researcher could rip this production to shreds on that basis. (But I won't!) I'll even resist the temptation to write a laundry list of inaccuracies because I don't want to spoil this movie for anyone. (If you want to know, email me.)

I agree with others comments that this should have been a two part (or more) miniseries. With the plethora of commercials, the length couldn't have been more than 90 minutes of actual footage. Many interesting and important parts of Dean's life were given short shrift by this production. However, if this TV movie can ignite interest in Dean among people who have no idea about him, then it has served its purpose. I do hope that people will not take this Hollywood production at face value. 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. I hope that this movie will serve as a springboard for others to discover through reading, viewing Dean's movies, and researching, the life of this fascinating American Icon.

Looking at the publicity photos will make you think the TNT biopic is really a documentary, and when you pop in James Dean for your evening's entertainment, it'll only be a few minutes before you wonder whether or not you have mistakenly rented a documentary instead of the drama starring a teen heartthrob of the '90s. Even though at times it may not seem like it, this movie does not contain real footage, and the lead actor portraying the 1950s legend is actually James Franco.

For the surface fan of 1950s cinema or of the rebellious icon, this movie will please during every scene. There are saucy trivia tidbits about the new star, and recreations from each of Dean's theatrical films. Various supporting characters from Dean's personal and professional life are represented, and you'll get to see portrayals of Elia Kazan, Pier Angeli, Martin Landau, George Stevens, Raymond Massey, Julie Harris, Hedda Hopper, James Whitmore, Geraldine Page, and Jack Warner. Some are more convincing than others, but all pale in comparison to the star, who seems to have been resurrected. This is James Franco's first of many film transformations, and it only takes a few seconds before you completely forget who the real actor behind the blond hair and glasses is. When portraying such a distinctive person, it's risky to include every idiosyncrasy because if modern audiences don't remember exactly how he acted, the actor could be criticized for being too over-the-top. There have been many actors and actresses who chose to play it safe in their biopics, and the results were staggeringly disappointing. James Franco, as you can probably guess, doesn't ever play it safe. He throws his heart and soul into this role as he's done with countless others in the past twenty years.

For the fans who like to scratch below the surface, this movie will quickly become a favorite. You already know details of Dean's life, and you've seen East of Eden a dozen times. When you watch James Franco act the hugging scene, you'll be in awe of his talent and his respect for the original material he was hired to recreate. You'll see him in his cowboy hat, arguing with George Stevens while on the set of Giant, and you'll see him dripping with oil and grinning in another iconic recreation. You'll see him falling in love, making friends, rehearsing, throwing fits, and getting lost in his emotions. No matter how much you thought you knew about James Dean, James Franco will help you get to know him a little better.

While a biopic of any beloved entertainer who died before his or her time is tragic to watch, there is another sad parallel that will only be gleaned from this movie if you watch it now, rather than twenty years earlier when it was originally broadcasted. Both James Dean and his portrayer had their careers shortened by the oddities in their personal lives. As you learn when you watch this movie, Dean was a very strange person with enormous emotional problems. He had violent mood swings, threatened his director with a knife, and refused to play by the studio's rules at a time when actors had to at least pretend to be wholesome and compliant. Had he not reached his tragic end so quickly, it's not hard to imagine he might have followed the path of Paul Muni, another emotional actor ahead of his time who couldn't be confined by Hollywood and returned to Broadway at his prime. I can't see Dean sustaining a decades-long Hollywood career as a brooding, emotional rebel whether or not the cameras were turned on. In 2001, James Franco had the world at his fingertips, and he won a well-deserved Golden Globe for this performance. Now, nearly twenty years later, his difficult personal life has stunted the pinnacle his career might have reached. Watching this movie is painful. Seeing this young man with an incredible, explosive talent makes you feel privileged to be included in the audience; knowing he got in his own way from becoming one of the finest actors of the modern era is very sad.

An actor renowned for doing his research and immersing himself in preparation, Franco seems so indistinguishable from his onscreen counterpart that the next time you watch a James Dean movie, you'll find yourself disappointed. I watched one of Dean's television movies the evening after I watched James Dean, and I'll admit to thinking James Franco's portrayal as James Dean was better than James Dean's as himself. I have no higher praise or recommendation than to urge you to rent, or better yet buy, a copy of what can be argued is Franco's finest hour than to call it Dean's finest hour as well.

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. The costumes and period trappings are well done and James Franco is awesome. 5/18/14

James Franco is quite wonderful in this. Supporting cast as well - - although why they focused on Julie Harris, Martin Landau, etc. - But not on Natalie Wood or Elizabeth Taylor is a puzzle... I think they took a lot of dramatic license with the father/son relationship (even though we know it was a strained one). So it's worth seeing--it will make you want to see his 3 films. Also check YouTube for amazing Dean clips and shorts.

This movie is about the relatively short life of James Dean. We are given his background, his rise to fame, and eventually his inopportune death at the peak of his career. At the end of the movie, we are told that most of the story is based on fact, but the gaps were educated guesses. Unfortunately this got me wondering which parts were guesses.

But no matter. The story of James Dean is interesting but he is not of my generation. 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. The movie and all of its characters revolve around Franco's excellent portrayal of the tortured actor. 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. Coincidentally, James Franco is now about the same age Dean was when his career skyrocketed. Let's hope this rising star's career isn't as short-lived.

My rating: 10/10

This film biography of 1950's Hollywood legend James Dean highlights his public life and the estranged relationship that he had with his father. Other aspects of his private life are merely hinted at, probably because to cover them honestly and forthrightly might have alienated some TV viewers. And so, the cinematic result here is shallow and superficial.

The film stars James Franco, as Dean. Most viewers adore Franco's performance. Certainly, he has Dean's mannerisms down pat. Franco does a good imitation of Dean. But Franco's acting is a little too affecting, a little too shallow, to be persuasive, in my opinion. 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. Edward Herrmann, Mark Rydell, and especially Michael Moriarty are terrific in their roles. Other secondary performances are also quite good.

Despite a superficial, and sanitized, script, and despite Franco's mannered performance, the film is mildly entertaining, thanks to great production design, realistic costumes, excellent film editing, and the acting in secondary roles. 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. A lot is left out. A longer, more in-depth, script would have perhaps yielded a more realistic, and therefore satisfying, film.

The movie in itself could have been much better. Many of the facts weren't quite right and I agree that it should have been longer. But I don't look at this movie that way, and so I am able to deeply enjoy this movie. 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. Since watching this movie I have found myself deeply interested in the Icon and watching all his movies, and even reading a bio on him. And I have found it interesting that everyone who knew him, and even people that didn't know him, all have different interpretations on who James Dean really was. They all see him in a different way. I really like the way he was seen in this TV movie. The writers could have done a better job with the story but did a GREAT job in creating James Dean as they saw him.

This is a good movie for getting a whole new generation of people watching James Dean. This isn't the best movie for people who want to know more about him. For that, go read a book on him, but try not to get too much of a biased one. 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.

Great acting by everyone, especially Franco, Mark Rydell (as Jack Warner), and Rydell's daughter Amy Rydell (as Christine). She seemed incredibly likeable, like someone I would want to be friends with. And that's how it seems she really was.

James Franco delivers a definite performance which is mesmerizing in its depth and intensity. The story as a whole is sensitive and literary. This is a fabulous TV movie, brilliantly directed by academay award nominee Mark Rydell.

James Franco, unlike Casper Van Dien (ouch!!) reeled me in immediately. The walk, grabbing his shirt collar and the way he swept his hair had me taking a double look until that toothy smile brought me back to reality. Aside from that, a brilliant performance by Franco. If i wasn't a Dean fan before, Franco has made me one. This one is four for four.

In this late-night TV movie, James Franco delivers a stunning, totally convincing portrait of the late James Dean. His physical resemblance is uncanny and his acting is spot-on, not just with the James Dean style of acting but also the awkward, shy and stooped body language off-screen and the confused persona.

The whole early 1950s era is brilliantly re-created (vehicles, drinks, bars, TV and film of the time) with superb location shooting and a re-enactment of the Hollywood of the time.

Dean is portrayed as an awkward child from a difficult background, with his mother dying when he was nine years old and all of the upheaval that followed (moving to Indiana, for example). He discovers his love of reckless motorcycle driving in the cornfields, something that would later cost him his life.

For me, this was one of those surprise films which was rather short - about 90 minutes - yet which I just hoped would go on for another hour or more. It was that brilliant. James Franco is a star.