the james dean movie might have be do much well have it be a feature film rather than one susceptible to the limitation of a make for tv movie . that be and where the filmmaker have to be wary of time and probably and content constraint . what we have a a final product and despite a nice performance by james franco a the legendary james dean and be little more than celebration of the man a a mythical pop culture icon . even the more authentic emotional moment such a the rocky relationship between the young actor and his estrange father be so tightly bind in overt dramatization rather than something more lifelike . everything about james dean and a portray here and seem less like insight into his background and his rise from a poor and indiana teen to iconic actor who life be cut short mid success and and more like james dean a a piece of stag drama only add more to create a mythical creature and less to explain a real person . consider and for example and if you be a viewer who have know little about james dean . perhaps you have watch a few movie or and like elvis and have always notice him a the understood representation of juvenile disillusionment and delinquency ( more the latter than the former and since our culture celebrate rebellion more so than simple dissatisfaction ) . but after have watch this film and what do you really learn about james dean . i think the other dilemma of make a film about james dean be that he be so young and still in the process of rise to fame when he die and that there doesn not seem to be many significant point of his life that can be stretch into an hour and a half film . here and we do get a little and but not really much to play around with . other than see bit about the girl at the studio he meet and become friendly with and the italian actress he live with for a while and befriend martin landau and and the relationship with his father and there really isn not much to go on . not know much about james dean and i do not know if there be much in his young life that could merit fill the time for a movie . it may be that those who be close to him that could really give the trivia about his background have pass on . it seem that and if he be as distant a they claim him to be and maybe it be hard to get the story behind the man even by those who know him in real life . but perhaps this be the reason why the subplot with his father seem so entirely force . unfortunately and there be a lot of style and but very little substance . and it may not have entirely be the fault of the filmmaker .