SYNOPSIS

What could have been merely a teen-exploitation flick became, in the hands of director Ray (perhaps the greatest screen interpreter of alienated outsiders), a timeless study of maturity formed in rebellion and tragedy. Dean's brooding, troubled character (along with Brando's character in The Wild One, 1954) also set the stage for the countless teen pictures to follow as the restless youth of the mid-'50s defined team culture. Dean and his family settle in Los Angeles, the latest in a series of moves driven by Dean's delinquency. Confused by his father's (Backus) surrender to his domineering mother (Doran), Dean tries to establish himself with fisticuffs and daredevil stunts. When he meets Wood and Mineo at the police station, his pursuit of Wood leads to a deadly hot-rod showdown and a tragic run from the police. In the face of pursuit by the authorities, and with no effective adults to turn to, the three form an imitation family of their own until Backus finally finds the courage to reach out to his son. Ray dignifies the story with his characteristically careful compositions and by drawing electrifying performances from his cast.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).