Rebel Without a Cause?

The other day, I watched a brief documentary on juvenile delinquency in the 1950s, and followed this with the great 1955 movie "Rebel Without a Cause." With each generation, we hear things like, "Kids today are just trouble," "what do kids have to be so depressed about," " WE never acted like that when WE were young," etc. Well, thinking about teenagers in the 50s, and teenagers today, I'm inclined to think that although the symptoms of the problems may indeed be different, the roots of the problem are still the same.

The documentary on the problem of juvenile delinquency in the 1950s was very stereotypical. I took issue with the fact that they portrayed it in racial terms, but wasn't at all surprised considering the time it was made. The delinquents they showed were both black and white, but when they said, "Delinquents come from neighborhoods such as this," they showed a poor black, urban community. Then, when they showed a town meeting to discuss the problem, the audience was primarily white middle class. I believe I saw one black man in the crowd. This didn't surprise me because there's been generations of such brainwashing, and isn't it still done today? Anyway, aside from all that, the delinquent kids were shown bullying others, drinking, smoking cigarettes, hanging around in intimidating gangs, dressing out of the norm, arguing with parents, misbehaving in class, etc. Sound familiar? Oh yes, and it mentioned smoking marijuana, and other "illegal mind altering substances."

We look back at the days 50 years ago as more ideal, more simple, more family oriented, and certainly more behaved! What did those kids have to be rebellious about? Most kids had a mom at home when they left for, and came home from school. Families supposedly did more together. Everyone was so much more proper and spoke in a more civil manner to each other. They didn't have the pressure of drugs, sex, technology, etc which are present for the youth of today. Right? We've heard all of that, but the reality is a little different. And, the root problems are the same. Teenagers then felt the same things teenagers now feel.

So what's the root of the problem? I'll give a disclaimer here that there are many, many roots, which are unique to each individual, but there are some common threads. The overriding problems are lack of acceptance, feeling misunderstood, a disconnection between parent and child, and a desire for love.  Watch the trailer for "Rebel Without a Cause," and see what you think:
"Rebel Without a Cause" trailer

So, the point? What you see in "Rebel Without a Cause" is nothing new. There is a young man, Jim, whose parents are dysfunctional, and completely misunderstand the needs of their son. All he really wants is a man to teach him how to be a man, not to run away from his problems and fears. His father is incapable of this. His mother's idea of handling problems is moving, and running away from them. There is another young man, Plato, who wants his absent parents to be there, and to have a real family. He's essentially abandoned by his parents, and he has nobody. Then there's Judy, who doesn't understand why her father is suddenly so distant from her. She feels unloved. Finally, there's Buzz, the leader of the little group of delinquents. He challenges Jim to a "chickie" race to the edge of the cliff. Whoever jumps from the stolen car first, before it goes over the cliff, is the chicken. Unfortunately, Buzz gets a strap on his leather jacket caught on the door and can't jump. Just before the race, we find out that he only acts so tough because he thinks he needs to keep up appearances, but he's really not a bad guy.

The death of their friend makes all the characters do a little self-exploration. They ponder those root questions I mentioned above, they deal with two losses, and somehow they come through it, bringing at least one of two of the parents along. In the trailer, you see the scene where Jim tells his parents they're tearing him apart. All that is evident in this film is still evident today. Somehow, that makes me sad, but it also makes me realize that we can come through it all too. Listen. Talk. Be patient.