“Pass the Popcorn” teams up with Film Streams during the Common Senses Festival to explore inclusive and sensory-aware cinema across Omaha.
By Gabriel Escalera
Pass the Popcorn: Rebel Without a Cause
June 5th, 2025
As part of Film Streams’ ongoing celebration of the Dundee Theater’s 100th anniversary, the beloved nonprofit cinema is bringing back a true American classic: Rebel Without a Cause (1955). In this week’s Pass the Popcorn, Marie Schuett of Film Streams reflects on the legacy of this groundbreaking film and why it still belongs on the big screen.
“Rebel Without a Cause isn’t just iconic—it’s essential,” says Schuett. “It captured a cultural moment, and seeing it in a theater like the Dundee, where generations have gathered to watch stories unfold, makes the experience even more powerful.”
Starring James Dean in his most defining role, Rebel Without a Cause tells the story of Jim Stark, a misunderstood teenager struggling with identity, family tensions, and the weight of adolescence. Alongside Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, Dean helped give voice to a generation of young Americans navigating post-war uncertainty and social change.
Schuett says the film was a natural choice for Dundee Theater’s centennial programming.
“This theater has seen a century of stories,” she says. “And Rebel Without a Cause speaks to the kind of emotional honesty and bold filmmaking that has always had a place at Dundee.”
Initially opened in 1925, the Dundee Theater is Omaha’s longest-operating cinema, and its historic charm has become synonymous with the city’s film culture. Throughout the 100-year celebration, Film Streams is showcasing both contemporary favorites and essential classics that have shaped the history of cinema.
“Part of honoring the Dundee’s legacy is revisiting films that changed the conversation,” Schuett adds. “Rebel Without a Cause did exactly that.”
