Description:
Happy as the Grass Was Green is an incisive view of a Mennonite family stunned into the reality of the outside world when their son is beaten to death at an unnamed NY university while protesting the Vietnam War. His best friend (portrayed with brilliant integrity by a then-slender Graham Beckel in the best role of his career), must deliver a message to the Lancaster family and his long-haired, unkempt demeanor quickly brings the family and community's deep rooted prejudices to the surface. Beckel struggles with this hypocrisy and perceives quite accurately that the Mennonite family suffers the same jealousies, insensitivities a
Happy as the Grass Was Green is an incisive view of a Mennonite family stunned into the reality of the outside world when their son is beaten to death at an unnamed NY university while protesting the Vietnam War. His best friend (portrayed with brilliant integrity by a then-slender Graham Beckel in the best role of his career), must deliver a message to the Lancaster family and his long-haired, unkempt demeanor quickly brings the family and community's deep rooted prejudices to the surface. Beckel struggles with this hypocrisy and perceives quite accurately that the Mennonite family suffers the same jealousies, insensitivities and cruelty of the modern world when fear and hatred are justified by religious unity. The film pulls few punches and sports the accomplished casting of the great Geraldine Page and under-used Pat Hingle as the parents who grow to understand their limitations as parents and believers. The film survives its painfully low budget by the strength of its timeless and potent storytelling. A small and unheralded gem that poignantly portrays the lifestyles of the conservative Mennonites. Simple, smart and courageous.
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