It’s is the story of a young man’s lifelong quest for his father’s love. It’s of more than routine interest because: a) his life only lasted 24 1/2 years; b) he was bisexual before it was fashionable; and c) he was a great actor and the symbol of his generation.
The TNT movie, directed by Mark Rydell (The Rose) and written by Israel Horovitz (The Strawberry Statement), is of course more about Dean’s acting than his bisexuality. It’s stated…accurately, from all reports…that the love of his life was actress Pier Angeli (Valentina Cervi), whose overprotective mother made her marry singer Vic Damone instead.
Jimmy’s gay side is acknowledged in two scenes. The first suggests that, as a struggling actor in New York, he got his first job in a television drama by sleeping with a gay director. Later studio head Jack Warner (director Rydell) confronts him with a fan magazine interview in which Dean was supposedly asked point blank, “Are you a homosexual?” and replied, “No, I’m not a homosexual, but I’m not going to go through life with one hand tied behind my back.” Warner warns him, “Homosexuals don’t sell tickets to teenagers.”