I refuse to believe that even in 1955 this was viewed as wild, boundary pushing, erotically-charged cinema. Especially considering that the same decade gave us Seven-Year-Itch, Some Like It Hot and A Streetcar Named Desire, amongst other more truly daring and sexually-knowing works. Picnic has not aged particularly well, but I doubt it was ever terribly good to begin with.
Description:An award-winning film adaptation of the William Inge play. Hal Carter is an arrogant drifter who sets off dramatic fireworks when he visits a quiet Kansas town to see an old friend. Before long he has managed to steal Madge Owens, the most attractive girl in town, away from his pal. Much of the drama takes place in the midst of the toAn award-winning film adaptation of the William Inge play. Hal Carter is an arrogant drifter who sets off dramatic fireworks when he visits a quiet Kansas town to see an old friend. Before long he has managed to steal Madge Owens, the most attractive girl in town, away from his pal. Much of the drama takes place in the midst of the town's annual Labor Day picnic. Among the many other memorable characters in the film are a spinster school teacher who desperately longs for the security of marriage, and Madge's jealous younger sister, Millie.
A study of the impact of a handsome, virile and egotistical drifter on the lives of five women in a small Kansas town over Labor Day Weekend. Based on the William Inge play. Academy Award Nominations: 6, including Best Picture, Best Director. Academy Awards: Best (Color) Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Film Editing.
"3/6/13
This was a somewhat dated tale of a drifter, played by William Holden, who blows into a sleepy, little town (somewhere in Kansas) to visit an old college friend and proceeds to cause quite a stir. Not only that but he wins the heart of his pal's girl (Kim Novak) in the process.
I say dated (and it is) but what I really mean is that it's just a bit...worn. My interest truly didn't peak until halfway through the picture. Holden, for me, was too old for the role and seemed even moreso as "
“I refuse to believe that even in 1955 this was viewed as wild, boundary pushing, erotically-charged cinema. Especially considering that the same decade gave us Seven-Year-Itch, Some Like It Hot and A Streetcar Named Desire, amongst other more truly daring and sexually-knowing works. Picnic has not aged particularly well, but I doubt it was ever terribly good to begin with.
I’m sure as a play this is exciting and unique material to be presented with. But the energy, the sense of creation that comes from watching something unfold live in front of you does not always translate to film. And Picnic is loaded with images and setups that belie the stage origins of the material. The director, Joshua Logan, seems to have a terribly hard time setting up actors within the frame, often hav” read more
"1955 - Charles Nelson, William A. Lyon
NOMINEES:
* Blackboard Jungle - Ferris Webster
* The Bridges at Toko-Ri - Alma Macrorie
* Oklahoma! - Gene Ruggiero, George Boemler
* The Rose Tattoo - Warren Low
"
AFIoscar added this to a list 3 years, 6 months ago
"1955 (Color) ~ William Flannery, Jo Mielziner, Robert Priestley - Picnic
NOMINEES:
Lyle Wheeler, John DeCuir, Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox - Daddy Long Legs Oliver Smith, Joseph C. Wright, Howard Bristol - Guys and Dolls
Lyle Wheeler, George Davis, Walter M. Scott, Jack Stubbs - Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing
Hal Pereira, Joseph McMillan Johnson, Samuel M. Comer, Arthur Krams - To Catch a Thief "
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My Movie Diary: 3/13 (Closed)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions Nominations
Academy Award for Best Picture
Academy Award For Best Film Editing
Classics For the Weekends
Academy Award for Best Production Design
