MovieChat Forums > Rebel Without a Cause (1955) Discussion > Judy has emotional issues.

Judy has emotional issues.

posted 15 years ago by PhazzedOut
10 replies | jump to latest

Where do I begin with this character. First off she seems to be wanted her dad's attention a lot. I understand even when you get older you still want the attention of your parents but she did seem a little "sticky". Also I do not know you any of you saw this or noticed, but she seems to get over ones death fairly simple. After the death of her boyfriend, she miraculously gets over him in a short amount of time. This later adds up to Judy actually liking another man that same night then later telling him that she loves him. WTF. This movie threw me off when that happened, the rest of the movie was a 8ish/10 but this truly threw me off.

You could add that she didn't "love" her boyfriend or other such things, but put yourself in her shoes. If you liked this man or even just considered him your friend, you would feel a knot in your chest. Now imagine that during that same night you meet another man, would you really tell him you love him that same night or even attempt to get close to him. I know I wouldn't even if I didn't love him.

You could also argue that I should have "suspension of disbelief". Yes I did have suspension of disbelief during the whole film. You have to also consider that specific genres can only play off specific things and they could not go over board. What I mean by this, how would a film be if it was a modern war film in Iraq or in northern Africa, then out of nowhere Harry Potter comes in and wipes them out. This would not keep you in suspense of disbelief. Well this was equivalent to that, KIND OF, to the point where I was just really confused.

Those are my two cents, where is my feedback?

[–] novastar_6 15 years ago

1. She's a teenaged girl with an emotionally abandoning father. Of course she's going to have issues, just like Jim has issues with his sissy father, just like Plato has issues with his absent mother and his divorced father.

2. The movie goes in a circle which comes to 24 hours, there's not time for her to go through a 40 day mourning period, warm up to Jim, kind of like him, like him and fall in love with him, everything that's going to happen has to happen before the next dawn or else there's no story.

and 3. Comparing Rebel Without a Cause which keeps in time with the exact same storyline it carries from beginning to end to a cross of Iraq and Harry Potter is just retarded to put it mildly.

[–] PhazzedOut 15 years ago

I admit number 3 was a bit too out there, but number two did throw me off and the rest of the class that has seen this. My class is a class to analyze old American classics, such as Casablanca and The Day The Earth Stood Still, but these films I stated were consistent never took it too far. When me and my girlfriend were watching and when she said that she loves Jim, we looked at each other in confusion. Then the rest of the class protested on how did she get over him too fast. This little flaw made rate this movie lower. I give it a 7ish/10, if it were to leave this part out or prolong it a bit I would of probably of not complained that this movie is hyped up too much.

[–] mastercartoonist2000 15 years ago

She is a deeply flawed character emotionally. Although it's only hinted at, it seems as if she may have been abused by her father when she was younger and now that that connection has been strained by her fathers sexual repression, she is desperately trying to find a man to sustain and fulfill her. The subversion in this character is deep, and almost somewhat tongue-in-cheek. This gender confusion is the whole point of this movie, just look at the rest of the characters .When her boyfriend dies, she immediately latches onto the strongest man in her life who has shown her attention, which is James Dean's character. Her "love" of him is just the love of his acceptance.

[–] PhazzedOut 15 years ago

I did kind of sense that perhaps she was abused; sexually or physically. I do not know though. I was thinking about it, and I do remember a girl like this, but this was different. The girl that I remember her boyfriend cheated on her then she met a guy that same week and told him that she loved him. This was in a week though. I am going to say it was just the times! :D

[–] novastar_6 15 years ago

Are we all even watching the same movie? WHAT abuse in the past? Judy is growing up...she's the mind of a child still but the body of a woman, and that makes her father uncomfortable because you're not supposed to treat a grown woman like a little girl. Granted I always thought she and Jim had the wrong fathers...Judy's father wouldn't have trouble teaching him how to be a man, and Jim's father wouldn't have any problem being openly affectionate with Judy.

[–] Ironman54 13 years ago

Still, two dead friends that evening and shes getting all romantic ? LOL !!
Not to mention the 'warmth' in the end with Plato lying dead at their feet !
At least Plato was taken out before he became a serial killer ala Jeffrey Dalmer.
What a twisted little freak he was ! Abusing animals is one of the key tip offs of future serial killers.Shooting the other kid and at the cop ? It was almost a certainty he would have gone on to set fires and become a 'security guard'.
Wonder if the 'killing puppies' was written into the story with this in
mind ?

[–] novastar_6 13 years ago

It was written with the philosophy that he is like the puppies in mind because they are eventually abandoned by their mothers and they never know their fathers.

[–] mistedshadow 13 years ago

Just about everybody in the film has issues.
A common theme in the movie is that most of the characters are very needy.

Also, tho Judy's romantic involvements are somewhat incredible, it's not necessarily totally unbelievable. I suggest making a comparison of the kissing scenes between Judy/Buzz vs. Judy/Jim. There is a significant diffence in the passion when she kisses Jim than when she kisses Buzz. Also, when we see Buzz first kiss Judy, she actually kind of pulls away during the interaction.

[–] Jane_Claire 13 years ago

I do not know you any of you saw this or noticed, but she seems to get over ones death fairly simple. After the death of her boyfriend, she miraculously gets over him in a short amount of time. This later adds up to Judy actually liking another man that same night then later telling him that she loves him. WTF. This movie threw me off when that happened, the rest of the movie was a 8ish/10 but this truly threw me off.

I love this movie so much (I'm 20 now, I was nine or 11 when I first saw it, it's the film that made me a classic film buff!), it's one of my faves ever, I guess that's why I'd never really stopped to criticize it, but yeah! that is SO true! She moved on FAST! lol it would take a normal teenager a while to get over losing their boyfriend by breaking up or being dumped, at least a little while. But Judy was over that and all over Jim in a matter of hours! But I guess it was so that they could squeeze all the action in a day/night. I love that the movie is so fast-paced, though.

[–] CJay 11 years ago

> "Judy has emotional issues"

Just a passing thought from an oldfart who hasn't yet finished the movie, nor reading this thread, that flicks in the 50s were subject to very strict ratings / decency pressure.

So whatever specifics a writer/dir intended very likely had to be expressed thru misdirection or otherwise obscured. Or best of all sweet spot --> hidden in plain sight.

# that's all i got

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