Giant(1956)- User Reviews

Long before Dallas, there was Giant. This should be mandatory material for all who call themselves Texans, for those who want to be Texans, (most will tell you that you must be born that way, as there is no transformation or "naturalization" that is sanctioned by most Texans . . . ) or who simply want to understand the "Texas Mystique". The reviews for the movie itself have already been covered and from that standpoint, I agree with most all of the positive comments. My only negative comment about the film is that the actor's portrayal of Texas accents and speech and some mannerisms is awful. Hollywood seems to always want to overdo "Texas". Chill Wills who himself was from Texas somewhat saves the day in that regard. The movie theme song is recognized by most and has a distinctive "Texas" feel to it.

Putting all of that aside and digging deeper, the most compelling part of this movie to me is the social commentary, the events, and the attitude that sterotypically define Texas pride. This is really a deep flick dealing with socioeconomic class struggles and threats to the cultural status quo. It spans 3 generations of "Texas" family values and demonstrates how people are driven to acquire wealth and status and what they do with it after they get it. It defines the early 20th century Texas oil and cattlemen, and most of that definition carries on to this day.