Stars: Pat Hingle, Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood
Moral of the Movie: Let the young'uns have sex, or they'll go crazy!
Beautifully shot and well-directed, Splendor in the Grass has two great looking leads and a good supporting cast. Natalie Wood gives one of her best performances. She really upped her acting game on this one. Unfortunately, I found the story ridiculous. Obviously aimed at the teenage market, we get the usual "Parents bad, Teenagers good" trope that started with Rebel without a Cause and went all the way through late 1960's. We get the following characters:
The Bad Dad (Pat Hingle) - He's the father from hell, demanding, money-mad, and oblivious to the needs of his sensitive son. He pressures Beatty into ditching poor Natalie and going to Yale. Why did every playwright in 50's and 60's hate their father?
The Bad Mom (Audrey Christie) - A super-puritan, she hovers over Natalie, telling her that "Good Girls" don't have sex and interrogating her after every date. Materialistic, she's happy Natalie is dating Beatty, since he's from a rich family.
The Good Boy (Beatty) - A sensitive lad, he has no desire to go to Yale or join his Dad's Oil Business. Who cares about money? He loves Natalie - but when pressured by Bad Dad -breaks up with her and goes anyway. He wants sex, but feels guilty about it.
The Good Girl (Wood) - She's in love with Beatty but wants to be a "Good Girl" too - so no sex. Frustrated and repressed, she tries to "go bad" but can't - and attempts suicide. After being released from the loony bin - her mother apologizes. Thanks Mom!
The Bad Girl (Loden) - A peroxide flapper, she's the only non-standard and interesting character. Back from a year in Chicago, she's forced by Bad Dad to stay at home. Disdainful of the small town, she spends most of her time looking for booze, smoking, and almost getting raped.
Summary: A very good movie of its kind - but not my cup of tea. A hot date movie in 1961 - it now seems rather quaint in this age of non-stop sex and profanity. Someone labeled it "Kazan sneering at the Squares" which isn't completely wrong. Becomes less interesting after Natalie goes crazy. Rating **1/2
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