Giant [PG]

Cattle baron Bick Benedict marries spirited Maryland belle, Leslie, and it seems that life is just great. But then Bick’s sister Luz dies and she leaves in her will a small portion of land to Jett Rink, an employee with a secret love for Leslie. Jett discovers oil and becomes exceedingly rich, but he still carries a torch for Leslie and unfortunately cannot enjoy the rewards he reaps. As Leslie and Bick get older, it becomes apparent that life is not going to be as they planned, as their daughter wants to run the ranch, their son becomes a doctor and takes a Latina wife, and their other daughter opts for the small life rather than the giant one of the Benedict family. 

This is another one of those classical Hollywood epics like Gone With the Wind. Chronicling an entire courtship and married life may give the film the look that it’s not really about anything, to be sure there are no rollicking action sequences or nail-biting dramas that take place, but with its memorable performances, inspiring Texan landscape, and fitting accompanying score by Dimitri Tiomkin, this family saga proves to still have some pull with an audience. 

Cattle baron Bick Benedict marries spirited Maryland belle, Leslie, and it seems that life is just great. But then Bick’s sister Luz dies and she leaves in her will a small portion of land to Jett Rink, an employee with a secret love for Leslie. Jett discovers oil and becomes exceedingly rich, but he still carries a torch for Leslie and unfortunately cannot enjoy the rewards he reaps. As Leslie and Bick get older, it becomes apparent that life is not going to be as they planned, as their daughter wants to run the ranch, their son becomes a doctor and takes a Latina wife, and their other daughter opts for the small life rather than the giant one of the Benedict family. 

Everything about this movie is big, hence the grandeur of its title. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber, Giant plays to that nostalgic vein of the classical Hollywood epic. Set in the west with the prime conflicts being that of clashes between races, classes, and genders, the film’s intriguing story about the battle between man and life proves to still be quite endearing. We also have classic performances from both Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean. 

As Leslie, Elizabeth delivers a performance that is classy, headstrong, and her appeal comes in the fact that she’s a modern girl stuck in a relatively outdated world where bigotry still seems to reign supreme. Her struggles with a loving, but stubborn husband prove to be quite engaging and her being so gorgeous to look at helps a great deal! 

James Dean is Jett Rink in tragically his last role (he was killed in a car crash after finishing the film). A hard fellow to read at first, aside from his affection for Leslie, James delivers a performance that becomes really tragic and touching towards the end when he sinks into alcoholism. His underdog sex appeal is a dominating force and even with grey hair and a porn-director toothpick mo, he still manages to convey that cheekiness and underdog character that won so many hearts. It’s tragic that he light didn’t shine for long, but it sure burnt brilliantly! 

Starring Rock Hudson, Carroll Baker, Jane Withers, Dennis Hopper, Chill Wills, Mercedes McCambridge, Sal Mimeo, Rod Taylor, Judith Evelyn, Earl Holliman, Robert Nichols, and Paul Fix, Giant is an epic Hollywood family saga filled with action, violence, racism, bigotry, drama, and romance. Its title matches its scale of scenery, characters, sets, costumes, and pretty much everything, making it a big name in the hall of Hollywood classics.