Written by William Inge, and believed to be based on an incident in his own youth, Splendor in the Grass is a realistic account of two high-school students yearning for love, but confounded in their desires by the ethics of their unsympathetic parents. In setting the story in a small Kansas town during the Twenties, Inge provides an extreme background for his preachment against hypocritical puritanism. Elia Kazan again captures the mood of rebellious youth, and, as in most Kazan movies, the acting is excellent. Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty give sensitive performances as the teenagers. Particularly unforgettable is the terrifying scene in which the Wood character erupts suddenly into madness. Quite notable is the photography by Boris Kaufman, and David Amram's score.
Natalie Wood said of her experience on this film, “Elia Kazan is an education for any actor. He cuts right through to the core of a characterization. It's the most exciting creative experience I've ever had.”