It’s a balmy Labor Day in the American Heartland, and a group of women are preparing for a picnic... but they'll have to lay a lot on the line before they can lay out the checkered cloths. When a handsome young drifter named Hal arrives, his combination of uncouth manners and titillating charm sends the women reeling, especially the beautiful Madge. When Hal is forced out of town, Madge must decide whether their fleeting encounter is worth changing the course of her life.
What Is the Story of Picnic?
The ladies of a small town in Kansas are getting ready for their annual picnic on the last day of summer when a handsome drifter named Hal suddenly appears and captures the attention of the town’s female residents—especially the young, beautiful Madge. Madge and Hal try to fight their attraction, which threatens to throw Madge’s family and future into a wicked spiral. Will Madge choose her safe, sensible boyfriend or the dangerous drifter with a questionable past?
"It’s a pleasure to watch the supposedly supporting cast take ownership of these characters..."
The New York Post
Elisabeth Vincentelli
"Director Sam Gold does a swell job of conjuring the fabled American epoch when people used the word swell..."
Entertainment Weekly
Adam Markovitz
"...there’s something undeniably pleasurable about sinking into the vivid evocation of small-town Middle America."
The Hollywood Reporter
David Rooney
"Gold has overlaid humorous interpretations onto Inge's stilted and dated dialogue, often to good effect..."
Associated Press
Jennifer Farrar