Giant (1956)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

George Stevens

Writers:

Edna Ferber (novel)
Fred Guiol (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

24 November 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | Western

Tagline:

From the novel by EDNA FERBER

Plot:

Sprawling epic covering the life of a Texas cattle rancher and his family and associates.

Plot Keywords:

Texan | Epic | Rancher | Texas | Cattle

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Elizabeth Taylor	...	Leslie Benedict
Rock Hudson	...	Jordan 'Bick' Benedict Jr.
James Dean	...	Jett Rink
Carroll Baker	...	Luz Benedict II
Jane Withers	...	Vashti Snythe
Chill Wills	...	Uncle Bawley
Mercedes McCambridge	...	Luz Benedict
Dennis Hopper	...	Jordan Benedict III
Sal Mineo	...	Angel Obregón II
Rod Taylor	...	Sir David Karfrey (as Rodney Taylor)
Judith Evelyn	...	Mrs. Nancy Lynnton
Earl Holliman	...	'Bob' Dace
Robert Nichols	...	Mort 'Pinky' Snythe
Paul Fix	...	Dr. Horace Lynnton
Alexander Scourby	...	Old Polo

Runtime:

201 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Warnercolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Spain:T | Australia:G (TV rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | South Korea:12 | USA:Approved (PCA #17675) (original rating) | USA:G (re-rating) (1970) | Argentina:Atp | Canada:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company:

Giant Productions

Trivia:

George Stevens shot 875,000 feet of film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the confrontation between Bick and Jett in the hotel banquet hall stockroom, Bick throws a "basket" knocking over several storage shelves. The shelves start to fall before the basket actually makes contact.

Quotes:

Leslie Benedict: Money isn't everything, Jett.
Jett Rink: Not when you've got it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Rock Hudson's Home Movies (1992)

Soundtrack:

There's Never Been Anyone Else but You

A Giant In Its Day, But Shrinking As It Gets Older (As Most Of Us Do)

I'll never forget seeing this in an old movie theater in my college town in 1968 In that transitional year for films, many of the previous films we had seen up to then were slow, melodramatic films, and some slightly-faster comedies so this movie was "tolerable." It was a long, yes, but had some expansive, impressive cinematography and had some big-name stars to watch in Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. I found it interesting at that time.

When I revisited this film a few years after it was released on VHS, my reaction was: "Wow, have times changed. This is dragging, now." That holds true even more so today in late 2007. This would be very, very tough to sit through at the present, and I mention it for those under 60 who have never seen it. They would probably have the same reaction. It was a different era and stories moved a lot slower than today..

As I look back at all the soap operas that were on screen in the '50s, this one looks so typical for its day. I expected affected fluff from Hudson and Taylor, but I was disappointed in Dean's smaller role in this film. It was not memorable way for him "to go out," although nobody certainly knew a car accident would make this his last movie. If you want to remember Dean in a more positive light, get the DVD of "East Of Eden."

Overall, I still love George Stevens' direction and the photography - but you have to really love the melodramas the '50s to watch this thing in its entirety today. I never wound up really caring about these characters in here, either. Maybe you have to be from Texas to relate.

Methinks this film gets overrated because of the notoriety of its three stars - Hudson, Taylor and Dean (sounds like a law firm!).