James Dean (2001) on Netflix
After his mother's death, James Dean is raised on an Indiana farm by an aunt and uncle while his father stays away. He moves to New York and Hollywood to act.
- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb7.1/106,011 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes93%
Trailer
Plot summary
James Dean is eight in 1939 Santa Monica, living with his mother Mildred and his estranged father Winton. When Mildred dies of cancer, Winton puts the boy on a train to Fairmount, Indiana, with her coffin, and does not attend the funeral; an aunt and uncle raise him on a farm. He moves back to Santa Monica after high school, finds Winton remarried and decides to act. Acting classes, a move to New York, the Actors Studio and a romance with Christine White follow, while Winton stays indifferent. Elia Kazan casts him in East of Eden, Jack L. Warner signs him, and on the Warner backlot he falls for Pier Angeli, whose mother disapproves.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about James Dean (2001)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- After talks with director Milčo Mančevski fell through, Mark Rydell was hired to direct in February 1996; Rydell was a close friend of James Dean and had studied with him at the Actors Studio in Manhattan in the early 1950s. Leonardo DiCaprio then dropped out of the lead role when his asking price was determined to be too high after Romeo + Juliet and Titanic.
- Producer Bill Gerber moved the project to Turner Network Television as a TV movie because it was hard to find bankable names to finance a $20 million feature, and audiences would know the outcome anyway: James Dean died in a highway accident in 1955.
- Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt were both under serious consideration to play James Dean, and both actors were also attached to the part on a film Michael Mann was contracted to direct in September 1993.
- Michael Mann approached Leonardo DiCaprio to play James Dean and considered him the best candidate, with Gary Oldman discussed for a supporting role. In March 1994 Mann quit over scheduling conflicts with Heat, feeling DiCaprio, at 19, needed another year to grow into the part.
- Five hundred actors auditioned before James Franco was cast as James Dean in May 2000; Franco said he was cautious about taking the role for fear of being typecast.
- James Franco researched the role by going from a non-smoker to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day, a habit he has since quit, and by learning to ride a motorcycle and play guitar, conga and bongo drums.
