G ‧ 1956 ‧ Drama/Western ‧ 3h 21m
Because of the length of the film, THIS SHOWING WILL BEGIN AT 6:30 PM.
Get ready for another blockbuster Classic Movie Night at the Odeon. Giant is a sprawling 1956 epic portrayal of a powerful Texas ranching family challenged by changing times and the coming of big oil. Even today, the film is arguably the most “Texas” of all the Texas-themed motion pictures. One of the 1950s’ most unusual — and successful — mainstream Hollywood productions, Giant celebrates Texas’ most enduring virtues even as it criticizes some of its most tragic shortcomings. Starring three of the most iconic movie stars of their era -- Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean -- the film depicts Texas on the cusp of two crucial mid-20th-century transitions. Oil is rapidly eclipsing cattle as the state’s primary economic engine, and an era of expanded civil rights for women and racial minorities is dawning much more quickly than some would like.
The film earned producer/director George Stevens his second Best Director Academy Award and received nine other nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor nods for both Rock Hudson and James Dean (who died in a car crash before the film was released), Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay – Adapted, Best Music Score (Drama or Comedy), Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing and Best Costume Design.
The film was a huge box-office success, earning $35 million in ticket sales during its original studio release in 1956, a record for a Warner Brothers film until that time. Giant, filmed in part near Marfa, won praise from both critics and the public, and according to Texan author Larry McMurtry, was especially popular with Texans, even though it was sharply critical of Texan society. In 2005, Giant was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It is included on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American films of all time.
Texas rancher Jordan "Bick" Benedict, Jr. (Rock Hudson) visits a Maryland farm to buy a prize horse. While there he meets and falls in love with the owner's daughter Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor), they are married immediately and return to his ranch. The story of their family and its rivalry with cowboy Jett Rink (James Dean), the resentful ranch hand who eventually strikes oil on land bequeathed him by Bick’s late sister, unfolds across two generations.
Admission is free for the Odeon’s Classic Movie Nights, but donations are appreciated.
If you’re interested in sponsoring your favorite Classic Movie* by underwriting the licensing fee (typically $50 to $250 depending on the film) in part or whole, please email us at notify@theodeontheater.com.
* Movies must appear on the AFI’s “100 Greatest Movies of All Times” list.