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About East of Eden

Based on John Steinbeck's novel and directed by Elia Kazan, this 1955 drama is the first of three major films that make up James Dean's movie legacy. In East of Eden, the 24-year-old idol-to-be plays Cal, a wayward Salinas Valley youth who, along with his competitive brother Aron (Richard Davalos), vies for the affection of his hardened father (Raymond Massey), making for a tragic Cain and Abel story. Playing off the haunting sensitivity of Julie Harris, Dean's performance earned one of the film's four Academy Award nominations, which included stellar performances throughout, including that of Jo Van Fleet who won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress. [118 min; drama; English]

“Jimmy Dean, as they called him, will stand the test of time due to his powerful on-screen presence because once a star is born on celluloid, they live on forever.” – Jason Delgado, Film Threat

“True to what made Dean the iconic symbol of that era's youth, his troubling and intricate performance as Cal Trask is ripe with the disaffected emotions that made him controversial to the old guard and beloved by the younger generation of his day.” – Don Shanahan, Every Movie Has a Lesson

“A classic of its time.” – Empire Magazine

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