The reason I have decided to write about James apart from it being his birthday is because when I made a reference to him around a few friends they all had no idea who he was. Besides the quoted dorm room posters and present-day girls loving him for his mysterious looks, the real James Dean is not well known by this generation. He was not only one of the best actors of his time but also the reason everybody loves a personality who "sticks it to the man."
During his short amount of time in the spotlight, he was nominated for two Academy Awards, both of which were posthumous and consecutive. First, East of Eden (1956), then, Giant (1957). Even though he was not nominated for it, his role as Jim Stark in the 1955 hit Rebel Without A Cause has gone down as his most memorable film and one of the best of all time. What's great about that movie in particular is that he was playing a character very similar to how he actually was in real life. Jim Stark is a complicated young man with parental issues and isn't afraid of getting in with the wrong crowd while wearing his iconic red jacket. His troubles throughout the film reflect those that teenagers still face today. If you haven't seen the film, you absolutely have to, but please don't blame me when your parents get mad that you yelled, "You're tearing me apart!" at them. Let's just say it work for James. He stars alongside Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo who are also just high school kids trying to figure out their place in life. James Dean was a person who wanted to be himself as well as a public figure. Lucky for him, he got both.Toward the evening on September 30th 1955, James was driving one of his beloved race cars down a highway near Bakersfield, California along with a friend. Seeing a man up ahead coming toward them left-of-center Dean attempted to maneuver out of the way using his racing skills but both cars hit head on killing James almost instantly and throwing his passenger from the car. He was 24.
In this new world of media frenzies and constant diving into celebrities' lives, a lot of people have lost touch with the most important thing: staying true to yourself. James Dean has proven he was the real deal. What you saw was what you got and he became an icon because of it.
