| ~ Giant on VHS ~ |
 |
| A Review: They call it Giant because everything in this picture is big, from the generous running time (more than 200 minutes) to the sprawling ranch location (a horizon-to-horizon plain with a lonely, modest mansion dropped in the middle) to the high-powered stars. Stocky Rock Hudson stars as the confident, stubborn young ranch baron Bick Benedict, who woos and wins the hand of Southern belle Elizabeth Taylor, a seemingly demure young beauty who proves to be Hudson's match after she settles into the family homestead. For many the film is chiefly remembered for James Dean's final performance, as poor former ranch hand Jett Rink, who strikes oil and transforms himself into a flamboyant millionaire playboy. Director George Stevens won his second Oscar for this ambitious, grandly realized (if sometimes slow moving) epic of the changing socioeconomic (and physical) landscape of modern Texas, based on Edna Ferber's bestselling novel. The talented supporting cast includes Mercedes McCambridge as Bick's frustrated sister, put out by the new "woman of the house"; Chill Wills as the Benedicts' garrulous rancher neighbor; Carroll Baker and Dennis Hopper as the Benedicts' rebellious children; and Earl Holliman and Sal Mineo as dedicated ranch hands. ~Sean Axmaker Comments From Me: I just saw the whole thing for the first time. You really need to have 3 hours and 20 minutes of free time to watch this. It was very long. The thing that disapointed me the most was that this was Jimmy's last movie and he didn't have the lead in it. . .but Jimmy didn't know that this was going to be his last movie so it's understandable. The movie is actually quite good, but it seems a little dragged out, as you could imagine. ~For information on buying this from Amazon.com, go here. |