Emotions are ignited among the complacent townsfolk when a handsome drifter arrives in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labor Day picnic.Emotions are ignited among the complacent townsfolk when a handsome drifter arrives in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labor Day picnic.Emotions are ignited among the complacent townsfolk when a handsome drifter arrives in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labor Day picnic.
- Won 2 Oscars
- 5 wins & 12 nominations total
- Christine Schoenwalder
- (as Elizabeth W. Wilson)
- Stranger
- (uncredited)
- Grain Elevator Worker
- (uncredited)
- Neighbor
- (uncredited)
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
- Chamber of Commerce Member
- (uncredited)
- Chamber of Commerce Member
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWilliam Holden almost turned down the film because he thought he was too old at 37 to play Hal Carter. Audiences agreed that he was much too old to play a character in his twenties.
- GoofsWhen Hal hops a freight train to Tulsa, he jumps onto a boxcar that has its door shut. He climbs the ladder and stands on top to wave to Madge. In this long shot, the boxcar door is now open.
- Quotes
Millie Owens: When I graduate from college I'm going to New York, and write novels that'll shock people right out of their senses. I'm never gonna fall in love. Not me! I'm not gonna live in some jerkwater town and marry some ornery guy and raise some grimy kids. But just because I'm a dope doesn't mean you have to be.
Madge Owens: Millie.
Millie Owens: Go with him, Madge.
Madge Owens: Millie?
Millie Owens: For once in your life, do something right.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Hollywood and the Stars: In Search of Kim Novak (1964)
Madge and Hal are -- probably tragically - made for each other. Each is a product of a broken home. Each wants to create a life worth living, despite family history, circumstances, and friends who expect little of them. My heart goes out to both of them. (The sad truth is that Madge's mother's warning will probably come true.)
I love the ambiguity of the movie's ending. I read that William Inge (or was it the screenwriter?) had originally had Madge return to her five and dime deadend job. I much prefer the ending that Mr. Logan chose.
Alcohol ought to be listed in the cast credits. It plays a big role at the picnic, and the effects of parental alcoholism pervade Hal's and Madge's lives.
Roz Russell the town schoolmarm and Howard the shopkeeper provide delightfully lighthearted counterpoints.
No car crashes, no karate. Just a simple story, simple setting, and timeless questions.
- tanya-8
- Apr 13, 1999
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Picknick
- Filming locations
- Hutchinson, Kansas, USA(Grain elevators)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 55 minutes
- Aspect ratio
- 2.55 : 1
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