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* BisexualLoveTriangle: ImpliedTrope with Plato and Judy as Jim's could-be love interests.
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moved to YMMV page


* CoolLoser: ''James Dean'' is a high school outcast.



* SpiritualSuccessor: Ray's follow-up film, ''Film/BiggerThanLife'', is set in StepfordSuburbia but unlike ''Rebel'' deals with the parents, specifically the protagonist is a school teacher (whereas here the protagonists are school students).
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Daylight Horror is no longer a trope, don't link it anywhere.


'''Jim Stark:''' [[DaylightHorror No, at dawn]].

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'''Jim Stark:''' [[DaylightHorror No, at dawn]].dawn.
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Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after [[GameOfChicken a chicken race]] gone horribly wrong.

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Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) (Creator/JimBackus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after [[GameOfChicken a chicken race]] gone horribly wrong.

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TRS cleanup: misuse (needs adult comparison)


* TeensAreShort: Most teens are played by shorter-than-average actors, such as 5'7" James Dean and Dennis Hopper, 5'5" Sal Mineo and 5'1" Natalie Wood. Corey Allen at 5'10" is an exception, but he's not especially tall either.
Willbyr MOD

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Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after a chicken race gone horribly wrong.

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Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after [[GameOfChicken a chicken race race]] gone horribly wrong.



* GameOfChicken: Between Buzz and Jim. The game (called "chickie run") is to drive towards the edge of a cliff and see who will jump out first.

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* GameOfChicken: Between Buzz and Jim. The game (called "chickie run") is to drive towards the edge of a cliff and see who will jump out first. [[spoiler:Buzz gets stuck in his car and can't jump out in time.]]
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rebel_without_a_cause.png]]

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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rebel_without_a_cause.png]]
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!!Provides Examples Of:

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!!Provides Examples Of:examples of:
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[[caption-width-right:350:Misfit [[TrueCompanions best buddies]], '50s style! ]]

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[[caption-width-right:350:Misfit [[TrueCompanions best buddies]], '50s style! ]]
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If it doesn't occur ON a character's birthday, it can't be a birthday trope.


* ABirthdayNotABreak: Plato is involved in witnessing a knife fight and a dangerous car drive off an edge, pushed aside, chased and attacked by Buzz's goons, mistaken for a criminal, chased by the police, and shot to death, all on the day after his birthday. Man, the poor kid just ''cannot'' catch a break!
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* ABirthdayNotABreak: Plato gets involved in witnessing a knife fight, a dangerous car drive off an edge, pushed aside, chased and attacked by Buzz's goons, mistaken for a criminal, chased by the police, and shot to death all on the day after his birthday. Man, the poor kid just ''cannot'' catch a break!

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* ABirthdayNotABreak: Plato gets is involved in witnessing a knife fight, fight and a dangerous car drive off an edge, pushed aside, chased and attacked by Buzz's goons, mistaken for a criminal, chased by the police, and shot to death death, all on the day after his birthday. Man, the poor kid just ''cannot'' catch a break!



** Carol Stark is an overbearing nag who would rather move to a new town than confront the consequences of Jim's actions, while Frank is a HenpeckedHusband who is too afraid of his wife and mother-in-law to stand up to them, even when Jim ''pleads'' with him to stand up to Carol's insistence that they deal with Buzz' death by moving again.

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** Carol Stark is an overbearing nag who would rather move to a new town than confront the consequences of Jim's actions, while Frank is a HenpeckedHusband who is too afraid of his wife and mother-in-law to stand up to them, even when Jim ''pleads'' with him to stand up to Carol's insistence that they deal with Buzz' Buzz's death by moving again.



* AfterActionPatchUp: Jim's father attempts to patch up his knife fight wounds but Jim runs out quickly again.

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* AfterActionPatchUp: Jim's father attempts to patch up his knife fight knife-fight wounds but Jim runs out quickly again.



* AlphabeticalThemeNaming: All three of the lead teenage protagonists have names that start with the letter J. ('''J'''im, '''J'''udy, and '''J'''ohn) ("Plato" is actually John's nickname so the trope still applies.)

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* AlphabeticalThemeNaming: All three of the lead teenage protagonists have names that start with the letter J. ('''J'''im, '''J'''udy, and '''J'''ohn) ("Plato" '''J'''ohn; "Plato" is actually John's nickname nickname, so the trope still applies.)
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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean died before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she was found dead at sea in mysterious circumstances.[[/note]]

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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, age; Dean died before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she was found dead at sea in mysterious circumstances.[[/note]]
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* BribeBackfire: Early in the film, after Jim gets hauled in for underage drunkenness, his dad tries to smooth things over with Detective Fremeric by offering him cigars. The detective rather coldly declines.

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* BribeBackfire: Early in the film, after Jim gets hauled in for underage drunkenness, his dad tries to smooth things over with Detective Fremeric Fremick by offering him cigars. The detective rather coldly declines.



* PoliceAreUseless: Played with. Detective Ray Fremick appears to be the OnlySaneMan at the start, and treats the delinquent teens with respect. Jim even goes to [[spoiler:try and report Buzz's death]] to him for this reason, but he is out on a call, and the policemen who are at the station don't know where he is or when he'll be back. The police who show up at the house later in the film, however, make things worse [[spoiler:by stunning Plato, causing him to run out. Not knowing that his gun is unloaded, they shoot at him]].

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* PoliceAreUseless: Played with. Detective Ray Fremick appears to be the OnlySaneMan at the start, and treats the delinquent teens with respect. Jim even goes to [[spoiler:try and report Buzz's death]] to him for this reason, but he is out on a call, and the policemen who are at the station don't know where he is or when he'll be back. The police who show up at the house planetarium later in the film, however, make things worse [[spoiler:by stunning aiming their spotlights at Plato, causing him to panic and run out. Not knowing that his gun is unloaded, they fatally shoot at him]].



* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Ray Fremick, whose first name is the last name of the film's director, Nicholas Ray. Coincidence? You decide.

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* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Detective Ray Fremick, whose first name Fremick is the last name of only adult authority figure in the film's director, Nicholas Ray. Coincidence? You decide.film who empathizes with the teenage delinquents and tries to reach out to them, which is why Jim specifically asks for him when he goes to report [[spoiler:Buzz's death]]. During the climax, he shows up at the planetarium to de-escalate the situation, [[spoiler:but unfortunately cannot prevent Plato from being killed by his less level-headed colleagues]].
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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean died before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she drowned under mysterious circumstances.[[/note]]

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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean died before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she drowned under was found dead at sea in mysterious circumstances.[[/note]]
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* GreaserDelinquents: Buzz provides the straightest example with his attire and haircut ticking all the boxes (leather jacket, greased hair), but oddly enough it's James Dean who has come to embody the Greaser image in popular consciousness despite his character (Jim) never wearing a leather jacket and not being a gang member in his mindset.

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* GreaserDelinquents: Buzz provides the straightest example with his attire and haircut ticking all the boxes (leather jacket, greased hair), but oddly enough it's ultimately James Dean who has come to embody the Greaser image in popular consciousness consciousness, despite his character (Jim) never wearing a leather jacket and Jim not being part of a gang member in and his mindset.iconic red jacket not being made of leather.

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Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after a chicken race gone horribly wrong.

to:

Dean is Jim Stark, a TroubledButCute 17-year-old with a messed-up home life. His mother (Ann Doran) prefers to move whenever a problem comes up rather than confront it and his father (Jim Backus) is a HenpeckedHusband who lets her do as she pleases. As a result, the Starks are constantly moving around and have just arrived in UsefulNotes/LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends John "Plato" Crawford (Mineo), an AmbiguouslyGay innocent. Jim immediately finds himself up against Buzz Gunderson (Corey Allen), the local JerkJock, but takes somewhat more kindly to Buzz's girlfriend Judy (Wood). Needless to say, she later becomes Jim's girlfriend. Most of the movie takes place on a night after a chicken race gone horribly wrong.



* CoolCar: Jim drives a 1949 Mercury. This movie ''made'' the '49 Merc a CoolCar rather than the rapidly depreciating, out-of-style old barge it had been before, much as ''Manga/InitialD'' did for the mid-80s Toyota Corolla coupes.

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* CoolCar: Jim drives a 1949 Mercury. This movie single-handedly ''made'' the '49 Merc a CoolCar rather than the rapidly depreciating, out-of-style old barge it had been before, much as ''Manga/InitialD'' did for the mid-80s Toyota Corolla coupes.


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* GreaserDelinquents: Buzz provides the straightest example with his attire and haircut ticking all the boxes (leather jacket, greased hair), but oddly enough it's James Dean who has come to embody the Greaser image in popular consciousness despite his character (Jim) never wearing a leather jacket and not being a gang member in his mindset.
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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she drowned under mysterious circumstances.[[/note]]

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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean died before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she drowned under mysterious circumstances.[[/note]]
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Teen drama from TheFifties in which Creator/JamesDean, Creator/NatalieWood, and Sal Mineo deal with {{Angst}}. Notably averts the TeensAreMonsters mindset of the era. The film is directed by Creator/NicholasRay.

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Teen ''Rebel Without a Cause'' is a 1955 teen drama from TheFifties film directed by Creator/NicholasRay in which Creator/JamesDean, Creator/NatalieWood, and Sal Mineo deal with {{Angst}}. Notably averts the TeensAreMonsters mindset of the era. The film is directed by Creator/NicholasRay.
[[TheFifties '50s era]].



There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Wood was 43 when she drowned under mysterious circumstances, and Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger.[[/note]]

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There is a "''Rebel Without A Cause'' curse". The film's three main stars (Dean, Wood, and Mineo) all met tragic deaths at a young age, Dean before the film even opened.[[note]]Dean was 24 when he was killed in a car crash, Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger and Wood was 43 when she drowned under mysterious circumstances, and Mineo was 37 when he was stabbed by a mugger.[[/note]]
circumstances.[[/note]]
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Not So Different has been renamed, and it needs to be dewicked/moved


* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Red is a reoccuring color throughout the movie. Jim's iconic red jacket and Judy's red lipstick both represent their disconnection with society and lack of strong role models. There's even a subtle case with Buzz right before the game of chicken that [[spoiler:leads to his death]]. Before they do it, Jim asks Buzz something the lines of "Why are we doing this?" and Buzz, responding with something along the lines of "What else is there to do?" opens his jacket up while shrugging, and you can see the inside is red showing they are NotSoDifferent.

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* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Red is a reoccuring color throughout the movie. Jim's iconic red jacket and Judy's red lipstick both represent their disconnection with society and lack of strong role models. There's even a subtle case with Buzz right before the game of chicken that [[spoiler:leads to his death]]. Before they do it, Jim asks Buzz something the lines of "Why are we doing this?" and Buzz, responding with something along the lines of "What else is there to do?" opens his jacket up while shrugging, and you can see the inside is red showing they are NotSoDifferent.aren't so different.
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* AmbiguouslyGay: Famously with Plato towards Jim, whose interest looks like a PrecociousCrush. WordOfGod is that Nicholas Ray told Sal Mineo to look at James Dean "the same way Natalie does" -- and there was even a kiss between them scripted.

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* AmbiguouslyGay: Famously with Plato towards Jim, whose interest looks like a PrecociousCrush. At one point he's clearly interested in the idea of spending a night with Jim. WordOfGod is that Nicholas Ray told Sal Mineo to look at James Dean "the same way Natalie does" -- and there was even a kiss between them scripted.
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Only Child Syndrome got a Trope Transplant to be about "traits of only children"


* OnlyChildSyndrome: Aside from having parental family issues, Jim and Plato aren't shown or mentioned to have any siblings. Judy was shown with a small child in her family scenes who may be her younger brother (although it's never specifically stated).
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* BerserkButton: You shouldn't have called him 'chicken.'

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* BerserkButton: You shouldn't have called him 'chicken.Jim '[[NobodyCallsMeChicken chicken]].'



* ImprovisedWeapon: Plato briefly uses a hose as a whip when surrounded by bullies in the abandoned mansion's pool.

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* ImprovisedWeapon: Plato John briefly uses a hose as a whip when surrounded by bullies in the abandoned mansion's pool.
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* ImprovisedWeapon: Plato briefly uses a hose as a whip when surrounded by bullies in the abandoned mansion's pool.
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* OnlyChildSyndrome: Aside from having parental family issues, Jim and Plato aren't shown or mentioned to have any siblings. Judy was shown with a small child in her family scenes who may be her younger brother (although it's never specifically stated).

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* CosmicHorror: The Planetarium sequence is entirely filled with this. The light show and cold scientist voice assures the young audience that the universe is vast and empty and human lives and civilization is meaningless in the long run.
-->'''Plato:''' Tell me Jim, will the end of the world come at night time?\\
'''Jim Stark:''' [[DaylightHorror No, at dawn]].


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* NaturalEndOfTime: The Planetarium sequence is entirely filled with this. The light show and cold scientist voice assures the young audience that the universe is vast and empty and human lives and civilization is meaningless in the long run.
-->'''Plato:''' Tell me Jim, will the end of the world come at night time?\\
'''Jim Stark:''' [[DaylightHorror No, at dawn]].


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* ParentalSubstitute: Jim tells Judy that Plato would like them to be like his mother and father.

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