For one thing, it’s iconic. It’s James Dean’s definitive role and it captured the motif of the teenage rebel.
But more than that, it’s a movie about the importance of fathers and the damage done when fathers don’t fulfill their role.
Judy is rejected by her withdrawn father. She craves fatherly affection, but when she tries to hug her father, he slaps her away. She is starving for healthy, masculine love. She turns to Jim.
Plato is abandoned by his absent father. He needs a man to teach and lead him but there’s nobody there. He’s left emotionally unsupported and lost. He also turns to Jim.
And Jim is ashamed of his passive father. The man allows his wife to walk all over him and it makes it impossible for Jim to respect him. Jim desperately wants to look up to his dad, but is constantly let down.
Jim has everyone turning to him, but no one to turn to himself.
Fathers are needed. Without them, the whole world falls apart.
Clip:
Quotes:
You live here don’t you?
- Who lives?
You're tearing me apart!
- What?
You, you say one thing, he says another, and everybody changes back again!
… Dad.
- This is all going too fast for me, son.
You better give me something. You better give me something fast.
-- Jimmy you're very young. A foolish decision now could wreck you're whole life. In ten years, you'll never know this happened.
Dad, answer her. Tell her. Ten years. Dad, let me hear you answer her. Dad. …Dad, stand up for me. …Stand up!
If I had one day when I didn't have to be all confused and I didn't have to feel that I was ashamed of everything. If I felt that I belonged someplace. You know?
If he had guts to knock Mom cold once, then maybe she'd be happy and then she'd stop picking on him. Because they make mush out of him! Just mush!
Do you think the end of the world will come at night time?
- Uh-uh, at dawn.
If only you could'a been my dad. We could have breakfast in the morning.
love somebody. All the time I've been... I've been looking for someone to love me. And now I love somebody. And it's so easy. Why is it easy now?
- I don't know; it is for me, too.
I love you, Jim. I really mean it.
- Well, I'm glad.
I've got the bullets!
I don't know what to do anymore. Except maybe die.
You can wake up now, the universe has ended.
Help me!
- Look Jim. You can depend on me. Trust me. Whatever comes, we'll, we'll fix it together. I swear it. Now Jim, stand up. I'll stand up with you. I'll try and be as strong as you want me to be. Come on.
Ben, a man in despair over a defining tragedy in his life, is seeking atonement. Blaming himself for taking so much good from the world, he seeks a way to restore some good to it.
[Spoiler Warning]
The way he does this is to seek out people who fall into two categories: They must be in need of something he has, and they must be someone he deems worthy of his help. In the end, he sacrifices himself so that he can give one woman his home, one man his eyes and one woman his heart.
I’m not sure how to measure the ethics on this one. But I have to say, I can identify with where his heart is, and I respect that. The action he takes is an ultimate expression of love.
And we can see the Gospel in that love. Just as Ben willingly gives his life for his friends, Jesus willingly went to the cross for us. Ben’s action provides a home, sight, and a new heart. Jesus also gives a home to the lost, sight to the blind and new life to the brokenhearted through the everlasting life He gives.
A terribly thoughtful movie. Give yourself the chance to really mull over it.
Trailer:
Quotes:
In seven days, God created the world. And in seven seconds, I shattered mine.
The first time I ever saw a box jellyfish, I was twelve. Our father took us to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I never forgot what he said... That it was the most deadly creature on earth. To me it was just the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.
It is within my power to drastically change his cirumstances, but I don't want to give that man a gift he doesn't deserve.
You know, Ben, I keep asking you this but why me? - Because you are a good man. No, really. - ...even when you don't know that people are watching you. Why do I get the feeling you're doing me a really big favor? - Because I get the feeling that you really deserve it.
Key Elements: Lines - Characters – Message – Music
My Review:
This movie has grown on me over time.
After an epic failure at work, Drew is contemplating suicide. But when he hears of his father’s sudden death, he postpones his plan to help his family with the arrangements. Those arrangements bring him to his father’s home in the south, and he crosses paths with Clair – a girl who gives him new hope in life.
The first thing I loved about this movie was that it makes a great argument for engaging in life. Drew wants to escape, but Clair won’t let him. She doesn’t deny his despair, but she encourages him to face it. She invites him to fully drink it in, but then to let it go. Pain is real, but life goes on. There have been times I wish someone had given me such wise guidance.
The other thing I love is how Clair draws his attention to the joyful little things in life. Drew had lived in the world of big ideas where value was measured by conquering and success. Clair pulls him down to earth and forces him to stop taking himself so seriously. She shows him the beauty of a sunrise, the joy of a song, and the treasure of friendship. She shows him life outside of himself.
On top of all this, there’s an awesome scene at his father’s funeral where a band plays Free Bird and sets the stage on fire. It’s incredible and I am now seriously considering having Free Bird played at my own funeral.
Full of simple wisdom and great character interaction, I’d totally recommend seeing this movie at least once.
Clip:
Quotes:
Trust me. Everybody is less mysterious than they think they are.
We peaked on the phone.
Drew, it was real, and it was great, and it was really great.
I'm one of a kind.
What they say is, it *will* hit you, it could be ten minutes or it could be ten years from now.
Most of the sex I've had in my life was not as personal as that kiss.
And don't worry. Because as great as you look tonight, you are safe with me.
To have never taken a solitary road trip across country? I mean everybody's got to take a road trip, at least once in their lives. Just you and some music.
Death and life. And death and life. Right *next door* to each other! There's like, there's a hair between them.
Okay, it's all about family bro.
- Thank you, Chuck.
Because we have a moment here, let me tell you that I have recently become a secret connoisseur of 'last looks'. You know the way people look at you when they believe it's for the last time? I've started collecting these looks.
All forward motion counts.
It takes time to be funny. It takes time to extract joy from life.
I want you to get into the deep beautiful melancholy of everything that's happened.
Sadness is easier because its surrender. I say make time to dance alone with one hand waving free.
So you failed. Alright you really failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You failed. You think I care about that? I do understand. You wanna be really great? Then have the courage to fail big and stick around. Make them wonder why you're still smiling.
I'm going to miss your lips. And everything attached to them.
You know, You're always trying to break up with me, and we're not even together.
- I know... We're not?
