MARCUS WINSLOW, JR / cousin and head of the James Dean Estate
"This is one of the best and most sincere documentaries I've seen."
KIP BROWN / the Dean Zine
"Five Stars! Excellent! Equally fascinating and enlightening. James Dean: Born Cool is a documentary with real heart and soul. A must have for both the casual and die-hard Dean fan... should go a long way towards finally helping to set the record straight for future biographers."
SUSAN ALTERI / Real Detroit
"If you want to make a name for yourself, there's a few ways to go about it. You could pick a project that's so illustrious everyone will want to see it. You could make your project with such skill that everyone from critics to the public are singing your praises. Or you could do both. Director and Producer Dennis Pietro along with co-producer, writer and editor Denver Rochon and co-producer Lydia Modica has made his first documentary about James Dean. Already enough reason to (watch) the film, Born Cool, is surprisingly well made. By focusing less on the Hollywood legend, the filmmakers have managed to create a much-needed, interesting and fresh look at the life of James Dean."
PHIL ZEIGLER / Fairmount Historical Museum / Historian
"Of all the documentaries that have been made on James Dean, not since Robert Altman's James Dean Story (1957) has a film come along that is so honest and well made. In fact, every celebrity should hope that Dennis and his friends make a documentary on them."
DAVID LOEHR / James Dean Gallery
"Though it is technically impressive, it's the rare and never before seen photos that steal the show."
DAVID LYMAN / the Detroit Free Press
"Turns out Dean wasn't the brooding loner his films portrayed. He was hugely popular in school, involved in sports and a good student (Born Cool) could be on Turner Classic Movies or American Movie Classics. This is a side of Jimmy that hasn't been shown before."
KENNETH KENDALL / artist (requested by Dean to make a sculpture of himself)
"So much better than the other documentaries. In Born Cool, never have I seen so many new photos and close coverage."
