***Minor Spoilers***Another one of those movies that needs to be dusted off and inspected every few years. Natalie, was never lovelier than as Deanie, a girl with hot blood, lusting for a wimpy Warren Beatty who plays Bud. Warren for all his bally-hood good looks, has never been one of my favourites. I wonder what the excitement is about. Was there a movie he was in, that he played anyone else but Warren Beatty ? Here he is subdued but handsome, well under the thumb of his father, terrified of going all the way with his more than ready and actually begging for it girlfriend. Pat Hingle as Bud's father, steals every scene he is in, conniving, manipulative always talking over and through his son. Bud's sister, Barbara Loden playing Ginny, portrays the mad flapper of the era, short marriaged, post abortion, into gang banging and desperately unhappy, she becomes Deanie's heroine. Of course Deanie falls apart and is committed to an insane asylum and falls for another patient, finally giving up on her passion for Bud. the last scene is heart wrenching. My spin on it is that Deanie sees the way her life would have been and is relieved that it hasn't turned out that way. Unrequited love is always the love we look back on, to bring it to the kitchen sink and snotty nosed brats is to yank away the wonderful splendor and make of it the mundane. 8 out of 10 for the use of colour and Natalie and Pat Hingle.
Review of Splendor in the Grass
