Picnic

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Picnic

PG

Released Nov 10, 1955

1h 55m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

45%

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11 Reviews

54%

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2,500+ Ratings

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Andrew Sarris

Film Culture

All in all, Picnic is an interesting failure. It is always visually attractive even when it is artistically unfaithful to its theme.

Feb 3, 2021

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Terry L C

Absolutely the best of the best!!!! They story line the greatest. How many feel like Hal Carter with no parental help, his only friend from college turns on him, and a young lady falls in love with him...the only person who feels he is more than everyone else thinks he is.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

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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

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Lanfranco C

Rebel Without a Cause 2.0

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/04/23

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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

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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

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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

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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
Producer: Fred Kohlmar
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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