Picnic

PG

Released Nov 10, 1955

1h 55m

Drama

List

50%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

54%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Charming Hal Carter (William Holden) turned to wandering after a failed acting career left him loose in the wind. Interested in reuniting with an old college friend, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), Carter bums a train ride to a tranquil Kansas town. Alan greets him warmly, and together they join the community in a picnic celebration of Labor Day. However, his welcome quickly sours when sparks ignite between him and Alan's girlfriend, Madge Owens (Kim Novak).

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Derek Prouse

Sight & Sound

If any integrity of intention was there at the beginning, it has somehow hopelessly miscarried.

Mar 30, 2020

Full Review

Nell Minow

Movie Mom

Rated: 5/5

Oct 21, 2004

Full Review

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Clunky and awkward, with inane dialogue, it's a movie to show how attitudes have changed.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

[William] Holden is years too old for the role but oozes sex appeal and makes a swoony stud when he takes his shirt off (or when, better yet, it’s ripped from his back...

Jan 7, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Though the film sticks with few sets and characters, resembling its stage origins, it’s still effective as a theatrical relationship drama.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 22, 2022

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

For its day, Picnic caught the mood of an uptight America in what goes for an edgy 1950s drama.

Rated: B

Jul 14, 2021

Full Review

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Sebastyen D

A lot of ripped shirts for no apparent reasons.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/05/24

Full Review

Lanfranco C

Rebel Without a Cause 2.0

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/04/23

Full Review

Blobbo X

If take out RossalindRusell drunk make fool of self scenes and make William Powell or whatever his name is 20 years younger, movie not be bad. Novak is appealing as is Sue Strasberg.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/22/23

Full Review

klr d

Fairly risque for the 50s in American cinema. It's a solid and memorable melodrama that will stay with you. I'm surprised the consensus score isn't higher.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/15/23

Full Review

Russ

Not as bad as I thought it might be; it's as corny as Kansas in August in places and melodramatic in others but it has its moments. Thirty-seven year old William Holden robs the cradle of 22 year old Kim Novak, both playing characters a few years younger; Madge is 19 and we're left to presume that Hal is probably in his early 30's. Miss Novak is surprisingly good in this which leads me to wonder why she wasn't in a lot of good pictures during her career; she was often relegated to fluff films like "Boys' Night Out." An aging Rosalind Russell is good as the spinster school marm who's loosened up by some whiskey at the titular picnic. Is that Cliff Robertson playing Holden's rival in the love triangle, or just a look-alike/sound-alike? It's flawed by an implausible "Love Will Conquer All" ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

05/18/23

Full Review

CodyZamboni

Watchable trashy soap opera. Movie's character motivations got from zero to unbelievable in seconds,. I liked that entire movie shot on location, with a real feel for small town ambience, people, details, culminating in the huge picnic, William Holden is fun and engaging at the start, but after dance, he makes stupid decisions, Kim Novak's performance is distant and not engaging, The huge standout is girl who plays Millie. She is so charming, pretty, energetic and fun. Movie works best when Holden hangs out with her.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

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Joshua Logan

Director

William Holden

Hal Carter

Kim Novak

Madge Owens

Rosalind Russell

Rosemary

Betty Field

Flo Owens

Susan Strasberg

Millie Owens

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Synopsis

Charming Hal Carter (William Holden) turned to wandering after a failed acting career left him loose in the wind. Interested in reuniting with an old college friend, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), Carter bums a train ride to a tranquil Kansas town. Alan greets him warmly, and together they join the community in a picnic celebration of Labor Day. However, his welcome quickly sours when sparks ignite between him and Alan's girlfriend, Madge Owens (Kim Novak).

Director: Joshua Logan
Screenwriter: William Inge, Daniel Taradash
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 10, 1955, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.0K
Runtime: 1h 55m

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