Rebel Without A Cause is a movie about three troubled, identity-seeking teenagers alienated from the world of their parents (Jim Stark, Judy, and Plato). Each of the movie’s main characters is searching for understanding, companionship, and a sense of belonging, much like most of the teenagers today. Even thought the movie is dated, it depicts the main problems and concerns that teens currently face. This film offers no answers. It merely presents the problems and the viewer is left to ponder how they'll turn out. I could identify with this movie on many levels. And I think that much of the young audiences out there could as well. The movie seems to tell the audience that just because teenagers do some bad things, doesn’t mean they’re bad at heart. I agree. In the movie, Jim is pressured into participating in a chickie run with a local gang leader named Buzz. A chickie run is where two guys race in a car towards a cliff. The first one to jump out from his car is a chicken. Jim feels he has something to prove. He doesn’t want to race, but he feels he has to show everyone he’s tough. Usually most teenagers today don’t want to get into trouble, but if it is necessary to put their lives on the line they will, simply to maintain their reputation. This is primarily associated to a phenomenon that teens encounter every day of their lives known as peer- pressure. Jim, as a result from his lack of identity, has an evident desire to fit in with Buzz and his gang members and to be with Judy. The reason for this desire is because he feels the need to belong and interact. As a result, he changes his style of dressing to assimilate with the others. Nowadays the majority of the teenagers also feel the urge to comply with the various standards of a certain group to save them from alienation. A perfect example of such a case is clearly visible in the way the majority of teenagers today dress alike. Most of them stat...
