Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Roman Sampson One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

frankwiener Everyone in this small Kansas city desperately needs a picnic. Down and out, Hal Carter (William Holden) just rolled into town off a freight train in search of his rich college buddy, Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson), with the hope that Alan's old man, who owns a prosperous grain company, will offer him a job. First, however, Hal stumbles upon Alan's beautiful girlfriend, Madge Owens (Kim Novak), and they click from the moment their eyes first meet, forcing Madge to question her relationship with Alan, which can't be much. Madge's kid sister, Millie (Susan Strasberg), is the family intellectual and strongly resents that Madge attracts so much attention based solely on her looks, which Millie considers superficially shallow. Flo, as the single mother of the girls, is worried about her ability to raise them, but it's probably too late to be fussing about that by now. And what about Miss Rosemary (Rosalind Russell), the local high school teacher who has boarded in Flo's rooming house for what seems to be forever? Frustrated that her confirmed bachelor boyfriend, Howard Bevans (Arthur O'Connell), refuses to propose to her, Rosemary sadly observes life passing her by. Even the goofy paper boy (Nick Adams) is unfulfilled as Madge won't give him the correct time of day, let alone anything else of which he is in need.That big, community gala can't come soon enough, but instead of providing relief to these folks, it becomes a tinder box from where all of their disappointments and exasperations explode into the deceptively tranquil Kansas atmosphere. And then comes that sizzling summer dance to the intoxicating "Picnic" theme song, written by George Duning, that impressed me so much as a seven year old kid glued to his tiny, transistor radio in 1956. Holden and Novak insisted that they couldn't dance a single step, so never, ever underestimate the magical powers of Hollywood.Regrettably, many of you young whippersnappers can't appreciate the painstaking efforts of a gifted photographer, James Wong Howe, to produce such a remarkable tribute to 1950's rural America, which we will never experience again, as he surely accomplished here. I have always appreciated the effective use of transportation modes, especially trains, by film directors, and Joshua Logan, with the help of Mr. Howe, provides one of the best transportation scenes in cinematic history at the end of this movie, but I will say no more about it.Why do so many reviewers believe that Holden at age 37 was too old for the part of drifter Hal Carter? At the ripe old age of 69, I'm still drifting through life, but I'll never catch Kim Novak along the way. I already know that by now. What totally lacks credibility for me is Hal's and Alan's friendship, regardless of their ages. Upon what was that based? Speaking for myself, I could never keep up with the rich kids in college and didn't even try. And what's the bit with Holden and Robertson feeling the urge to shave their chests? I always thought that women found hairy chests sexy, not that I ever had more than a few, wayward strays. Aside from her physical beauty, Kim Novak always intrigued me by the intricacy that lied beyond her outward loveliness. In my humble view, she was only able to make the best use of her inner complexity here and as Judy Barton two years later in "Vertigo". And guess where Judy Barton's hometown was? Salina, Kansas, where much of this film was produced. We've come full circle, haven't we?Holden and Novak make an irresistibly attractive couple, and I thank Mr. Logan for having the guts to go with Holden over the other, well known options. The rest of the cast is outstanding as well, especially Russell and O'Donnell, who will always be among my favorites. Two unforgettable scenes are Russell's drunken, volcanic eruption and the moment of O'Connell's realization that, at long last, he has been helplessly corralled by Miss Rosemary and will soon be headed to that long overdue Ozarks honeymoon in the black 1950 Fordor owned by Tom and Betsy Rath in "Man in the Grey Flannel Suit", produced in the same year. They can't keep a good, solid car down for long, can they?

secondtake Picnic (1955) A big reputation for a stiff film with some terrific parts. If you start, do stick it out to the night party at the end of the picnic, and to the final emotional scenes. The filming, and even the slightly outrageous Midwest customs (the entire town of people raising their arms in praise at one point), are both great. James Wong Howe knocked himself out making this movie really gorgeous. If the women (and William Holden) are only as good as they are beautiful, you might say the same with the movie, which is mostly about appearances. Maybe that's part of its brilliance, intended or not. It also might reflect a superficial but partly true version of 1950s America. Or Kansas, for starters. The real intentions here are terrific, and there are elements that begin to draw you in. That is: innocence, striving for happiness, failure (and acceptance of that), and good old carnal lust. I find both Holden and Kim Novak relatively stiff actors, and so maybe they contribute to the feeling in the film. Or maybe they are perfectly cast in a film that doesn't try for honest depth. It also doesn't try for something truly steamy and emotionally sweeping like a Douglas Sirk film (see his "All that Heaven Allows" from the same year). Director Joshua Logan might actually be striving for something that stays restrained, like the people in the film. Except maybe Rosalind Russell, by the way, who is a genuine hoot. The famous dance scene on the dock under colored lights makes you nostalgic for some great old times, not quite innocent but certainly pure in their simplicity and beauty. Both leading actors were famously bad dancers, so the camera zooms in to their shoulders on up, letting the ambiance of the night take over, with fifty Chinese lanterns in different colors hovering. Novak plays the "beautiful" one, but her younger sister (Betty Field) has all the pure beauty here, and the conflict lets Holden get confused and torn in two, almost literally (once Russell gets involved). It's all a bit superficial-spotlights (probably some standard studio Kliegs) make it almost absurdly dramatic. But then, we sometimes say that about Sirk, too, and other widescreen dramas of the time. Maybe we'll gradually come not just to enjoy them but to revere them. For now, there is a bit too much artifice, and bit too little genuine rich depth and human exploration. The material is ripe, for sure. And I have to say I enjoyed it all, without ever quite being convinced or affected.

Robin Kluger Vigfusson This picture could be an artifact of the naive and childish romantic notions of the fifties and the plight of women at that time. The audience is asked to suspend reality on too many levels, the first being William Holden as a drop-dead gorgeous young stud. At 37, Holden was prematurely old from alcohol. Even with his shaved chest (which was supposed to make him look younger), he seems closer to 50. All of the gusto and even the lust are forced. Hal would have been an ideal role for Paul Newman or Marlon Brando at that time; maybe Joshua Logan just hated method actors. It would be understandable as to why Kim Novak, the Village Beauty, would dump the richest boy in town (Cliff Robertson) for a loser with no prospects. He would need to have overpowering sex appeal while Holden just appears used-up. In this situation, you can't help but feel for Betty Field's character who knows Madge's life will be a disaster once she marries Hal. The best outcome is that Madge will divorce him before she loses her looks. How audiences, at that time, could consider her union with Hal a happy ending is symptomatic of how delusional and pathetic the nineteen fifties were.

govett Absolutely masterful storytelling. Four story lines united by two beautiful melodies, which themselves are united. Four romance-related stories are intertwined: deepening love between Bill & Kim; painfully destroyed crush of teenager Strasberg; lost love of mother; lost romance of Roz Russel. All roles masterfully acted, with the exception of Bill's stiff dancing. That being said, there, on screen, are your mother and father, and all their ancestors, and all your descendants. That's what life is about — simply that. By the way, this scene is definitive proof that free will does not exist. Bill didn't have a chance. Guys take note: When women say they want more romance in their lives, this is what they mean. It's worth a shot.