Although lengthy and not without its dramatic excesses, Splendor in the Grass is a tearjerker of the highest rank. Its story follows the "Romeo and Juliet" theme of Natalie Wood's other film from the same year, West Side Story, which had blissful young lovers separated due to the pressures of peers and family.
The morals behind Splendor in the Grass are both complex and conflicting. Certainly, meddling parents are blamed for the travails of Deanie and Bud. Their relationship founders because parent-induced guilt prevents its consummation. But would Dean have been happy as the 'barefoot and pregnant' wife, while Bud ekes out a living as a rancher? Meanwhile, the pushy windbag father (Pat Hingle) gets his, as does the openly defiant and self-destructive sister (Barbara Loden, later the wife of director Kazan).
The shattered dreams and passions of Deanie and Bud are mirrored on a national scale by the stock market crash which foreshadowed the Great Depression. The excesses of the giddy and expansionist 1920s is subtly condemned through the depiction of a wild New Year's party, which ends disastrously for all concerned.
Splendor in the Grass marked the feature debut of Warren Beatty, then known for his role on the "Dobie Gillis" television series. Beatty, the younger brother of Shirley MacLaine, had made such an impression on playwright William Inge that he had written the screenplay with Beatty in mind. It was the first of many similar roles for Beatty, who often played the none-too-bright romantic lead.
William Inge makes his only film appearance as an actor here, playing a reverend. It was Inge's first screenplay, and it won the only Oscar for Splendor in the Grass. He had previously had great success on Broadway for his plays Come Back, Little Sheba, Bus Stop, Picnic, and The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, all of which were soon adapted into highly regarded films.
Natalie Wood received the film's other Academy Award nomination, for Best Actress. Though now in her twenties, the role was otherwise perfect for her. Her character evolves from lovesick to anguished to ironic, fulfilling the prophecy of the Wordsworth poem from which the film derived its title.
The most challenging aspect of the role was the scenes in which her character had a nervous breakdown. She finally lashes out at her shrewish, virginity-obsessed mother in a key (and censored) bathtub scene, and at the uncomfortably chivalric Bud when he refuses her pleadings. Wood had similar run-ins with clueless, meddling parents in Rebel Without a Cause. Wood was not nominated for her same-year performance in West Side Story, perhaps only because it was excelled by her role in Splendor in the Grass.
The film was the last major success for both Inge and Kazan. Kazan was one of the greatest Hollywood directors, whose classic films A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront have overshadowed several other lesser known masterpieces. Kazan's career was eventually derailed due to backlash blacklisting. He had testified at the Congressional commie witch hunt hearings, a decision undoubtedly made to save his promising career. One has to wonder how many among those who later criticized his actions would have done exactly the same thing themselves. (77/100)
Two young lovers find their awakening sensuality in conflict with both their own moral values and those of the small town in which they live. This int...More at Family Video
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.