Though nothing can bring back

Though nothing can bring back the hour Of splendour in the grass, glory in the flower; We will grieve not, rather find Strength in what remains behind

• William Wordsworth Intimations of Immortality from Recollection of Early Childhood (X) Those lines are the crucible of Splendor in the Grass. They are the words that haunt Deanie’s youth and provide redemption when she’s older. The movie starts in 1927 in southeast Kansas with Deanie and Bud in high school. They are clearly in the throes of young love. They are caught up in the confusion of their physical affection for each other, and the contrary advice that their parents and other adults give them as to how to handle it. Consider this conversation between Deanie and her mother:

“Mom is it so terrible to have those feelings about a boy?” “No nice girl does.” “Doesn’t she?” “Nope, no nice girl.”

During a discussion between Bud and his father, Bud is trying to explain how difficult it is for him to ignore these desires inside him and do what’s right. Bud’s father, a chronic bad listener, has misguided advice for his son:

“What you need for the time being Bud is a different kind of girl. When I was a boy son there was always two kinds of girls and us boys we’d never even mentioned them in the same breath.” The film spends over two hours exploring the relationship between Deanie and Bud in a candid and nuanced way that most teen romance films completely miss. They both do their best to understand the events going on around them but lack the experience to interpret them, and the adults they ask for advice provide homilies like “Always drink plenty of milk Deanie” rather than clear answers. Differences in class, gender and education between Bud and Deanie are handled quite adeptly in the screenplay and never overblown for dramatic effect. I’ve seen the movie a number of times and the ending still gives me that rush that only the best movies do. The final scene is played with furtive glances and body language rather than an abundance of dialogue to over explain.

The movie was released in 1961, and unlike many older movies you don’t have to make special exceptions while you watch. In other films you sometimes have to ignore cultural artifacts that were relevant at that time that are now out of place. What makes the great films great is their timelessness. Splendor in the Grass captures young love in a way that has remained just as relevant over the decades.