History Main / RebelWithoutACause

Teen drama from TheFifties in which JamesDean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo deal with {{Angst}}. Notably averts the TeensAreMonsters mindset of the era.

* {{Tearjerker}}: STAND UP FOR ME!!
** [[spoiler: Plato's death, Jim tearfully embracing his father as they reconcile.]]

* NiceGuy: In stark conrast to how to promotions made him out to be, Jim is a decent, gentle, sensitive and kind-hearted boy who unhesitantly befriends and stands up for the meek Horatio on his first day of school, takes care of people who have shown him kindness, and has a conscience so solid he practically LEAPT to take responsibility for the death of his drag-race opponent. Now if only his loser HenpeckedHusband of a father was strong enough to stand by him when he needs him, he is MORE than capable of becoming a respectable member of adult society.

* NiceGuy: In stark conrast to how to promotions made him out to be, Jim is a decent, gentle, sensitive and kind-heared boy who unhesitantly befriends and stands up for the meek Horatio on his first day of school, takes care of people who have shown him kindness, and practically LEAPT to take responsibility for the death of his drag-race opponent. Now if only his loser HenpeckedHusband of a father was strong enough to stand by him when he needs him, he is MORE than capable of becoming a respectable member of adult society.

* CoversAlwaysLie: Jim is portrayed as a violent and menacing, if not downright villainous, figure in the promotional posters, no doubt to capitalize on the fact that AllGirlsWantBadBoys. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. See NiceGuy for more details.

** James Dean played Carl [[{{SignificantAnagram}} Trask]] in EastOfEden.

* TrueCompanions: Jim, Judy and Plato, as seen in the above screenshot.

[[caption-width-right:358:[-Misfit [[{{Nakama}} best buddies]], '50s style!-] ]]

* {{Nakama}}: Jim, Judy and Plato, as seen in the above screenshot.

*** Don't forget Frank Stark is [[Gilligan'sIsland Thurston Howell III]].

*** Don't forget Frank Stark is [[Gilligan's Island Thurston Howell III]].

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Rebel.jpg
[[caption-width:358:Misfit {{Nakama}}, '50s style!]]
-->''"You're tearing me APART!!!!"''\\
-- '''Jim Stark'''

Dean is Jim Stark, a (the original) 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 LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends Plato (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.

* AngstWhatAngst: Judy takes her boyfriend's death pretty easily.

* FeedMe: "You're tearing me APART!!!!"; "I GOT THE BULLETS!" Everyone else occasionally chips in as well. Of note is Judy's reaction when [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome the phone rings]].
* HarsherInHindsight: Sal Mineo was later Murdered and James Dean died in a car accident

* HeyItsThatGuy: Keep an eye out for an eighteen year old DennisHopper.

* HilariousInHindsight: [[TheRoom "You're tearing me APART!!!!"]]
* HoYay: Jim and Plato.

* {{Narm}}: The combination of FeedMe and SeinfeldIsUnfunny means that it's easy to be jolted out of the movie; understanding the context helps.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: This film [[TropeMaker made]] or [[TropeCodifier codified]] several tropes that went on to be mainstays of the way teen angst would be depicted for the next 50 years. For example, elements of several early episodes of ''TheOC'' are explicitly drawn from parts of this movie. As a result, much of it seems cliché today; when it was released, it shocked audiences.

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 LosAngeles as the film opens. At his new HighSchool, Jim befriends Plato (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.

* ParentalIncest: It's hinted that Judy's father might has oppressed attraction for her. He refuses to show affection for her, stating that she's "getting too old for that kind of stuff", and when she kisses him, he slaps her.

* TheDanza: James Dean plays as...James.

* AdultsAreUseless In some scenes.

* BuryYourGays [[spoiler:Being only implied to be gay doesn't protect Plato from this trope.]]
* CoolLoser ''James Dean'' is a high school outcast.

* DawsonCasting Mineo and Wood are the right age; Dean is 24 and looks it, enough that his romances with the other two feel a bit {{squick}}y.
* FeedMe "You're tearing me APART!!!!"; "I GOT THE BULLETS!" Everyone else occasionally chips in as well. Of note is Judy's reaction when [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome the phone rings]].
* HenpeckedHusband Mr. Frank Stark, Jim's dad.
* HeyItsThatGuy Keep an eye out for an eighteen year old DennisHopper.

* InNameOnly Has nothing to do with the earlier book ''Rebel Without A Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath''.

* {{Nakama}} Jim, Judy and Plato, as seen in the above screenshot.

* ParentalIncest It's hinted that Judy's father might has oppressed attraction for her. He refuses to show affection for her, stating that she's "getting too old for that kind of stuff", and when she kisses him, he slaps her.
* PlayingAgainstType Jim Backus.

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

* SleepingSingle Judy's parents, as you can see [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_v27hJrrgr_A/SOa74n_q6sI/AAAAAAAAUO4/G4gUZsiSrd4/s1600-h/T-226553.jpg here]].
* SuicideByCop [[spoiler:Plato]]
* WordOfGay Plato is supposed to be gay, but the censors at the time wouldn't let them say it, so it's only implied.

* AdultsAreUseless (In some scenes.)
* AngstWhatAngst: (Judy takes her boyfriend's death pretty easily.)

* BuryYourGays ([[spoiler:Being only implied to be gay doesn't protect Plato from this trope.]])
* CoolLoser (''James Dean'' is a high school outcast.)

* DawsonCasting (Mineo and Wood are the right age; Dean is 24 and looks it, enough that his romances with the other two feel a bit {{squick}}y.)
* FeedMe ("You're tearing me APART!!!!"; "I GOT THE BULLETS!" Everyone else occasionally chips in as well. Of note is Judy's reaction when [[WhatDoYouMeanItsNotAwesome the phone rings]].)
* HenpeckedHusband (Mr. Frank Stark, Jim's dad.)
* HeyItsThatGuy (Keep an eye out for an eighteen year old DennisHopper.)

* InNameOnly (Has nothing to do with the earlier book ''Rebel Without A Cause: The Hypnoanalysis of a Criminal Psychopath''.)

* {{Nakama}} (Jim, Judy and Plato, as seen in the above screenshot.)

* ParentalIncest (It's hinted that Judy's father might has oppressed attraction for her. He refuses to show affection for her, stating that she's "getting too old for that kind of stuff", and when she kisses him, he slaps her.)
* PlayingAgainstType (Jim Backus.)

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

* SleepingSingle (Judy's parents, as you can see [[http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_v27hJrrgr_A/SOa74n_q6sI/AAAAAAAAUO4/G4gUZsiSrd4/s1600-h/T-226553.jpg here]].)
* SuicideByCop ([[spoiler:Plato]])
* WordOfGay (Plato is supposed to be gay, but the censors at the time wouldn't let them say it, so it's only implied.)

- '''Jim Stark'''

- Jim Stark (James Dean)