Let's be realistic.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is an okay made for TV movie that is worth catching because of James Franco's absolutely amazing performance. He simply becomes James Dean, completely embodying the film icon; the swagger, the sneer, the cigarette, the angst, the weirdness.As a biography this focuses heavily on the difficult relationship Dean had with his absentee father, while also giving us glimpses of his years as a starving actor, sudden rise to fame and short movie career (three starring roles in two years.) There's also plenty of shots of "Little Bastard," the car he was driving when he crashed at the age of 24.Franco's portrayal didn't particularly make me like James Dean, he comes across like a bit of a dick, definitely troubled and strange but I think its probably accurate. The costumes and period trappings are well done and James Franco is awesome. 5/18/14

James Franco first impressed me in his wrathful portrayal of Harry in "Spiderman." I did not pay close attention to his running of the Hollywood gantlet until "Oz, the Great and Powerful" was released; and then, I paid far too much attention to tepid or caustic reviews. Finally, a friend persuaded me to see that movie. Like many releases in recent memory, the movie is a diamond-in-the-rough. If a student submitted that screenplay to me, I would say, "Nice rough draft - Now go back and polish it so that every syllable and image is pristine." Recently, I have been entranced by Franco's portrayal of Daniel in reruns of the 1999 television release of "Freaks and Geeks." In that role, Franco seizes upon moments to behave crudely, with great refinement and sensitivity, immaturely, and in a continuum of gestures indicating the growth of his character.Two nights ago, I watched the 2001 television biopic, "James Dean." In one of the first scenes, I sat up straight. The partly crouching, partly crumbled thin body of Franco had transformed himself into the painful, wizened pose of James Dean, seated and squinting as though lost in his own world, his own moment.Throughout this movie, I became convinced that Franco had really studied Dean's every facial pose, his every gesture and movement, the way the actor whispered, sighed, moaned and snarled, often without verbalizing.Franco, certainly one of our age's Renaissance Men, bites off much, but he can chew. Taking as many as 62 college credits at once, while writing short stories, acting in a plethora of films, all at the same time, some of his performances, ergo seem more tepid, even a bit more soporific than others. His portrayal of Allen Ginsberg, though daring, did not capture or keep my interest or attention."James Dean" is a movie which, very much like the life of the real James Dean, I hated to see end.

Franco aced Dean's walk, voice, mannerisms! Now every time I watch Franco, it's like I'm watchin' Dean! (Is that a good thing?!) Anyway, I learned a lot about Dean's life in this bio. He truly was a tortured soul! You had to pity him & you'll understand why when you view this film. I bought it & have watched it a lot.I read that after this film, Franco won a Golden Globe Award (which he said he gave to his mom) & the offers just kept pouring in. After viewing this film, DeNiro hand-picked him to play his son in City By The Sea, which Franco promptly jumped at! (I don't blame him!) May Franco's career continue to shine as he continues honing his craft, ridding himself of his shyness & giving us ever more characters to view & identify with!

I really enjoyed James Franco's performance. He didn't need to lose that much weight to portray James Dean. I have seen the way James Franco looks now and he looks more like him today than he did when he portrayed him in 2001 or whenever they filmed the television movie.Aside from that, I felt that casting directors should have signed the talented gorgeous actress Alyssa Milano to portray the late beautiful actress and love of James Dean's life Anna Maria Pierangeli (better known by her stage name Pier Angeli)instead of the Italian actress who portrayed her. In 2000, Alyssa was starring in the WB television show Charmed - as she still is. During that time, Alyssa had the exact look of Pier Angeli. Alyssa would have just needed to wear hazel contacts because she has such naturally dark brown eyes. Maybe if producers want to film another television mini-series about the love affair of James Dean and Pier Angeli they should cast Justin Timberlake as James Dean and Alyssa Milano as Pier Angeli. This is only my suggestion.