Big-Screen Dreams: ‘Rebel Without a Cause' Returns

Movie games, as in those living room-based competitions involving friends and slips of paper and quotes and watch-me dramatics, are pretty common nowadays, and definitely around movie-making Southern California.

After all, with cinemas and television and streaming and the myriad ways to see films, both new and vintage, we do all seem to know a lot of quotes.

And if you've ever wailed "you're tearing me apart!," an utterance from one of moviedom's most dramatic and heartfelt moments, but haven't ever seen James Dean speak the original line, then your chance has come, for "Rebel Without a Cause" will be back, in multiple Southern California theaters, on Sunday, Sept. 23 and Wednesday, Sept. 26.

Of course, enjoying director Nicholas Ray's oh-so-quotable gem, a true titan of teenage films and a perfectd slice of mid-century cool, isn't just about hearing the lines you already know well. 

It's about admiring the timeless performances, with James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo turning in complex character portraits.

It's about seeing a cinematic work of art that went on to influence other angst-y, deeply emotive films about adolescence and young adulthood.

And, yes, it is about seeing Griffith Observatory on the big screen, in one of its best-known starring roles. When you think about it, the observatory was also a teenager when the 1955 movie was made, or nearly: It was built in 1935.

What to do after seeing the classic film, which is presented by Fathom Events and TCM? If you're close to the Griffith Park gem, why not toodle up and stop by the "Rebel Without a Cause" Monument, which is located outside the observatory?

Plenty of locations have been seen in plenty of films, but few places have as tight a relationship with an on-screen story as Griffith Observatory does with this enduring "Rebel."

Where to get your tickets? Don't be torn apart: Find them at Fathom Events.