REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

NICHOLAS RAY | USA | 1955 | 111 MIN | PG-13 | 35 MM

This screening will feature live music 30 minutes prior to start time.

James Dean died behind the wheel of a Porsche Spyder less than one month before the release of REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE in 1955, ensuring that the film would forever come wrapped in a shroud of tragic mystique. But more than just the film that launched its star (and his iconic red jacket) into the pop culture pantheon, REBEL is a deeply affecting exploration of teenage discontent and the power of chosen families. Dean plays Jim Stark, a sensitive teen with a troubled family life who’s embarking on his first day at an LA high school. Over the course of an eventful day and night, Jim forges a unique bond with two equally disaffected classmates: fey misfit Plato (Sal Mineo) and bad girl Judy (Natalie Wood). Though seemingly very different, the three are thrown together by a series of tragic events and bond over the alienation they feel toward their families and society as a whole. Vividly capturing the rage beneath the picture perfect facade of Eisenhower-era America, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE set the gold standard for teen drama, setting a moody template for generations of cinematic loners, outcasts, and rebels.

Cast: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus

“A mighty, ageless jolt of teen petulance. Dean is supreme.” –Empire