6. Plato - Rebel Without A Cause
As great as James Dean is at playing a misunderstood teen, he really doesn't have a whole hell of a lot to complain about in this movie. Kind of where the title comes from. He's dealing with issues, but they're things that a lot of kids go through. Basically it's the 50s version of Parents Just Don't Understand. But it's fair to say that compared to Jim, Plato's problems are on a totally different level of weird. What's really going on with this kid, anyway? His parents are in absentia, and he seems to have been raised solely by his nanny. It's fairly obvious that Plato is a closeted homosexual, and while he's clearly got a crush on Jim, there's also this vibe of hero worship and Plato wanting him as a father figure. Sal Mineo really embodies the role, and creates this wonderful, interesting character that becomes the emotional center of the film.