Picnic

Carefree Americana. Community spirit was at 110% and overly obsessed with picking the most attractive teenager via a weird ritual. Then we got a heavy dose of melodrama that didn't seem earned after meeting the guy THAT DAY. Then nobody got their just desserts, though mom got more sympathetic. I want my small towns to suffer, dammit! Can't get over the age difference. Great cinematography at nighttime. Fav scene: festival events---I do want the escapism of this America.

Reminds me of Sirk with its superficial americana trappings that cover up a complex and frustrated set of emotional lives. It doesn't reach the depths of Sirk in its characterizations, but at least provides a good amount of breadth with its big cast of characters who each take their own strengths for granted and pine for the strengths of those around them with barely concealed jealousy and inner turmoil.

A promising idea, and Kim Novak looks lovely, but man, when this movie ended it was like I woke up from a coma. Long, too sentimental, and just not very engaging. I also didn't care for any of the characters, especially Madge who didn't do much except sit around complaining about being too pretty.

"The operation was a failure but the patient lived." A good example of strong material and cast surviving terrible direction to give us a worthwhile movie anyway

While mostly erotic escapism for housewives in the 50s, this has enough redeeming qualities to be worthwhile: well-rounded, sympathetic and interesting (side-)characters in Holden, the younger sister and old maid schoolteacher, beautiful shots in technicolor and well pacing. The biggest problem is that Holdens-Novak's romance is built on nothing more than physical attraction, which would be okay if Novak's main character trait wasn't wanting to be more than a pretty girl.

A 1950s melodrama that follows the effect that a drifter has when he stumbles into a small town on the day of the Labor Day picnic. It is very much "of its time" and almost feels like a satire on the era with its portrayal of morals meets repressed sensuality. Very well made and features strong performances from Holden, Novak and Rosalind Russell, but gets way too melodramatic in the final act to be taken seriously.

Big screen version of William Inge's Pulitzer Prize winning play about a drifter who ignites passions in a small Kansas town during the Labor Day picnic; terrific cast, gorgeous James Wong Howe color cinematography; famous scene of Holden and Novak dancing to Moonglow.

Finally got around to this one. I was only expecting a romance, but it's a great small-town movie with colorful characters. Based on the play of the same name.

Not quite quintessential 50s melodrama, but an acceptable substitute.

Pretty typical 50s melodrama. Nice score and cinematography though.

There's some really good stuff here, not least everything with Rosalind Russell and Arthur O'Connell. But Holden feels miscast, slightly too old and too intelligent and stately to be cast as someone this impulsive. The dialogue is sometimes ridiculously blunt as well, but the entire sequence of the actual titular picnic is a gem.