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''James Dean'' is a 2001 biographical television film based on the life of the American actor James Dean. James Franco plays the title role under the direction of Mark Rydell, who chronicles Dean's rise from a struggling actor to an A-list movie star in 1950s Hollywood. The film's supporting roles included director Rydell, Michael Moriarty, Valentina Cervi, Enrico Colantoni, and Amy Rydell. The ''James Dean'' biopic began development at Warner Bros. in the early 1990s. At one point, Michael Mann was contracted to direct with Leonardo DiCaprio starring in the lead role. After Mann's departure, Des McAnuff, Dennis Hopper and Milčo Mančevski were considered as directors. Rydell was hired as director in 1996, but the film continued to languish in development hell. Warner Bros. then decided to produce ''James Dean'' as a TV movie for Turner Network Television (TNT); both Warners and TNT are owned by Time Warner. Franco was cast as Dean in May 2000 after a search that resulted in 500 auditions. Franco researched his role to more closely portray Dean. ''James Dean'' was shown on TNT in the United States on August 5, 2001, receiving generally positive reviews from critics. ==Plot== At eight years old, James Dean lives with his estranged father Winton and mother Mildred in 1939 Santa Monica, California. When Mildred dies of cancer in 1940, Winton sends James on a train to Fairmount, Indiana, along with the coffin containing her body. Winton does not show up at the funeral, leaving James to be raised by his aunt and uncle on a farm in Fairmount. Over the years, he becomes more curious about his father's decision to abandon him. He tries to impress him by sending him a package displaying his various athletic trophies in high school sports. James moves back to Santa Monica in June 1949, shortly after high school graduation, and finds that Winton has remarried. He decides to become an actor and takes classes under James Whitmore. Whitmore is impressed by his acting ability, which encourages him to move to New York City in September 1951 to pursue an acting career. Despite being a struggling actor, he enjoys the new lifestyle. He befriends fellow actor Martin Landau and has a romantic relationship with Christine White. Both are accepted into the prestigious Actors Studio. He receives critical acclaim in Broadway theatre productions and for a role in a television movie drama that is broadcast nationwide. He tries to tell Winton about his successful rise in acting, but his father still reacts with indifference, causing more emotional turmoil for him. Film producer-director Elia Kazan hires James for the leading role in ''East of Eden'' (1955), marking his Hollywood debut. He moves to Hollywood in April 1954 to begin filming for ''Eden'' and is introduced to Jack L. Warner, the stern president of Warner Bros. Studios who is determined to transform him into a movie star. Warner becomes suspicious of his personal life (such as his possible bisexuality and passions for auto racing and motorcycling). On the Warner Bros. backlot, he falls in love with actress Pier Angeli, who is working on the neighboring production of ''The Silver Chalice'' (1954). Despite concerns from Pier's domineering mother, James and his girlfriend buy a beach house in which they live together. Meanwhile, eccentric director Nicholas Ray casts him in the lead role for ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). He once again hopes to impress his father with his rising movie star career in Hollywood, but Winton persists with his indifference. When ''East of Eden'' debuts, Warner is furious that he does not show up at the premiere. He considers shutting down production of ''Rebel Without a Cause'', but he drops the idea due to James's praised performance in ''Eden''. Later, he finds out that Warner sided with Pier's mother over his break up with her. She ends up marrying Vic Damone, while James then signs a one million dollar contract with Warner Bros. and is cast in ''Giant'' (1956). His mental breakdowns become more apparent when he starts conflicting with director George Stevens. Angered with his life, James decides to learn the truth about his father's disinterest toward him since he was eight years old. Winton tells him that his real father was a man with whom his mother had an affair during the marriage and that he did not have the courage to raise him, not being his real father. With his inner demons resolved, he begins to enjoy life once more and adopts a friendly relationship with director Stevens. Shortly afterward, he dies in a car crash that shocks the film industry and the general public. En route on a train to Indiana, Winton sits next to his coffin in the storage room. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「James Dean (film)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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