SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS

US, 1961, 124 minutes, Colour.
Natalie Wood, Warren Beatty, Pat Hingle, Zohra Lampert, Audrey Christie, Sandy Dennis.
Directed by Elia Kazan.

Splendour in the Grass comes from a screenplay by noted playwright William Inge (The Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Come Back Little Sheba, Bus Stop). It was directed by Elia Kazan (Gentleman's Agreement, A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront).

For those who like strong drama with real feeling, this film is excellent. It is also a worthwhile study of the Generation Gap, or the communication gap between youth and their parents. It shows some of the frightening consequences on impressionable youth when their parents make all the decisions concerning their children's lives or misinform them through ignorance. This happens to rich Bud and poor Deanie and blights their love for each other, spoiling Bud's life and causing Deanie a breakdown. The setting is 1928-32, the film was made in 1960. Despite this, the theme and the treatment are quite relevant to-day.

Natalie Wood was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. Warren Beatty's first role was well done. Pat Hingle's playing of Bud's father is excellently repelling.

1. What was the meaning of the title? Was it explained effectively in the film itself? What do the words in the phrase suggest? What overtones do they evoke?

2. Was the picture of the 1928 Mid- West style of life well recreated? Even though the setting was in the twenties and the film was made in 1960, how relevant was its story and theme today?

3. Was the treatment of the theme too romantic or sentimental or was it satisfyingly realistic?

4. Did Deanie and Bud really love each other? Were they right 'not to go all the way'? Why?

5. Did you think the strain on both of them over-played? Did the film imply that they should have 'gone all the way' and they would have been happy or did it imply that they had to cope with their problem within the moral and conventional framework of their world?

6. Did you like Bud and Wilma Dean? Why? Did the film build up their characters well? - school and class situations, sport, romance, quarrels?

7. Hew did Dannie’s mother influence her - especially her Puritan ideas about sexual feelings, her strictness, her concern about money, her protective love for her baby, her lack of sympathy for Bud? Later in the film she hoped that Deanie did not blame her for her upbringing. Should she have been blamed or did she do the best she could?

8. What influence did Deanie's father have - he seemed only to make comments about drinking milk?

9. What kind of man was Mr Stamper? How effective was Pat Hingle's portrayal of him? Why? Why did he idolise Bud? Why did he force Bud to achieve all his own ambitions? Why couldn't Bud communicate with his father? How weak was Bud in standing up to his father? Why didn't his mother have more influence? Why had Virginia so rebelled against her parents? Why didn't Bad imitate her?

10. Why did Bud physically collapse - whose fault was it? Was he right in breaking off their romance? Why did he refuse Deanie's begging him to consummate their love?

11. Why did Deanie become so neurotic? Whose fault was it? Why was she so desperate to go off with 'Totts' and then to try to kill herself?

12. What effect did her years in the institute have on her? Why couldn't she face her parents after six months? Was she cured after the two and a half years? What did she learn about herself in the institute - from the doctor, from John? Did she really love John?

13. How did Yale spoil Bud's life? Why didn't he keep in touch with Deanie?

14. How desperate was Mr Stamper's final attempt to make Bud succeed his way - the interview with the Dean, the night-club and the dancer? How did the Wall Street collapse affect him? What were the main reasons for hie suicide?

15. Why did Bud marry Angelina? Was he happy with her, the child, the farm?

16. How effective was the final meeting of Bud and Deanie? (Why didn't they tell her he was married?) Did it show?
What future did each of them have?

17. Deanie interpreted Wordsworth's lines about splendour in the grass as the death of ideals as children grow old. Is this what happened in the film?

18. Was this a good example of a film which illustrated its problem of generation gaps, communication, family love, sex and marriage? How good an example?