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Giant

Play trailer Poster for Giant G 1956 3h 21m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Wealthy Texas rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) shakes things up at home when he returns from a trip to the East Coast with a love interest, the refined Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor). Bick and Leslie get married, but she clashes with his sister, Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), and wins the admiration of the ambitious young Jett Rink (James Dean). Bick and Jett form a tense rivalry that continues to surface as the years pass and fortunes change in this sweeping drama.
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Giant

Giant

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Critics Consensus

Giant earns its imposing name with a towering narrative supported by striking cinematography, big ideas, and powerful work from a trio of legendary Hollywood leads.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman The Ringer 03/27/2020
The contrast between Hudson's stolid, genteel acting style and Dean's more electric approach gives Giant the energy it needs to propel its massive, decades-spanning narrative... Go to Full Review James Powers The Hollywood Reporter 10/10/2018
Including a fine performance from Elizabeth Taylor, great acting from Rock Hudson and a piercing portrayal from James Dean. Giant stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the great ones. Go to Full Review Guardian 03/21/2018
Giant, in spite of its length, seldom seems long -- its story is too eventful, its effects too picturesque, and its director too skilful for that even over so long an expanse of time. It may not be a great film but it is certainly an awesome one. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 09/17/2024
C
The only thing giant about it is its length of over 200 minutes. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 02/13/2023
3/4
This ambitious adaptation of the Edna Ferber novel is often touched by greatness, yet it's ultimately too scattershot to satisfactorily maintain its bloated 200-minute running time. Go to Full Review John Beaufort Christian Science Monitor 08/16/2022
Overlong as Giant may be, one cannot but admire the authority and skill with which George Stevens, the coproducer-director, masters the narrative rolling stock in his tremendous train of events... this is film making of a very high order. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Mickey B. @Mickerdoo Jan 18 Even with a shining example of a wife, it still took Bick a lifetime to straighten up. Jett started sour and only got more bitter with wealth. Uncle was about the only worthwhile male role model. Interesting to see the family grow old and push their parents into new thinking. See more Rich N Oct 6 An enjoyable movie. The movie trailer encouraged me to give it a try with it's narrative. It began, "This is Texas. Mighty colossus of the southwest. A land of infinite variety and violent contrasts. A land where todays ranch hand can become tomorrows multimillionaire. But more than a state, here is a state of mind. Manners. Morals. Emotions. Of people who are often as exhilarating, exasperating and exciting as the land they belong to. Out of this fabulous and tempestuous panorama comes the story of magnificent scope and great personal charm. A cavalcade that spans a quarter century of stormy passions, deep human understandings and love. Always, love. Powerful. Unquestioning. Constant." See more Kim B Sep 30 Giant ranks itself among the most epic. Hudson’s stately Texan demeanor mixed with the Taylor’s charm on camera combine to make a single big star! While Dean’s character is an aggravating nuisance in the family scheme, his talent on camera makes the audience feel a touch of compassion for the outcast oilman. The film ranks among the best. See more JoParkerBear P @JoParkerBear Sep 28 A flawed favorite of mine. One of the few epics I actually love. See more Luke S Aug 8 Excellent - Taylor and her character are especially excellent. Hudson delivers a great performance. Dean is interesting and loathsome. The storylines are very interesting - money/poverty, white/Hispanic, women/men - there is a lot it digs into. And a bit depressing that we have not come further by 2025 since 1955. The brown-face on actors playing Mexican was shocking to see - though this also informs on the times. A movie that seemingly is pro-equality still used light skinned actors with brown makeup. See more MariofanAlex445 07/10/2024 This film was beautiful. The writing was impeccable and the acting (especially James Deans) was magnificent. I really want to watch more films like this one, I’m so glad it was restored. Now I need a Criterion release so I can never not be able to watch this. See more Read all reviews
Giant

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Cast & Crew

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George Stevens

Director

Elizabeth Taylor

Leslie Lynnton Benedict

Rock Hudson

Jordan "Bick" Benedict

James Dean

Jett Rink

Carroll Baker

Luz Benedict II

Jane Withers

Vashti Snythe

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Giant

Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Lynnton Benedict, left) and James Dean (Jett Rink, right) in Giant. Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Lynnton Benedict, left) and James Dean (Jett Rink, right) in Giant. Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Lynnton Benedict, left) and Rock Hudson (Jordan "Bick" Benedict, right) in Giant. Elizabeth Taylor (Leslie Lynnton Benedict, left) and Rock Hudson (Jordan "Bick" Benedict, right) in front of director George Stevens on the set of Giant. Director George Stevens on the set of Giant. Poster Art Giant (1956) Giant (1956) Giant (1956) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Wealthy Texas rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) shakes things up at home when he returns from a trip to the East Coast with a love interest, the refined Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor). Bick and Leslie get married, but she clashes with his sister, Luz (Mercedes McCambridge), and wins the admiration of the ambitious young Jett Rink (James Dean). Bick and Jett form a tense rivalry that continues to surface as the years pass and fortunes change in this sweeping drama.
Director
George Stevens
Producer
Henry Ginsberg, George Stevens
Screenwriter
Edna Ferber, Fred Guiol, Ivan Moffat
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers/Seven Arts, Polyphony Digital
Rating
G
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 24, 1956, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$183.9K
Runtime
3h 21m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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