Picnic

Picnic is a 1955 romantic drama film which stars William Holden, Kim Novak and Rosalind Russell.  It was nominated for six Academy Awards, winning two:  Best Art Direction-Color and Best Film Editing.

Hal (Holden), a former college football star, but now a homeless, penniless young man, arrives by freight train in a small Kansas town on Labor Day.  He is there to try to reconnect with a rich former fraternity brother.  

By chance, Hal asks for help from a kindly neighbor of the fraternity brother's girlfriend, Madge (Novak).  Later, he meets up with his friend and asks him for a job in his father's grain elevator business.

Hal is invited to join a group that will be going to the town's annual Labor Day picnic.  The group includes a middle-aged spinster school teacher named Rosemary (Russell).  

In the evening, a picnic band is playing beautiful dance music and Hal tries to encourage Madge's younger sister to master the steps.  Instead, Madge cuts in and the two move well together to the music which ignites a mutual passion with Hal.  

A drunken Rosemary tries to come on to Hal, tearing his shirt.  Madge's boyfriend arrives, and angry over what he sees with his girlfriend, humiliates Hal and drives him away from the picnic.

Madge follows Hal, sensing a budding relationship.  She is a beautiful young woman who wants to be taken seriously as more than just a beauty.  Madge identifies with Hal's difficulties.

Madge's single mother wants her to marry her rich boyfriend and live a life of comfort.  Madge wants something else.  

Madge and Hal spend the rest of the evening together getting to know each other.  In the morning, being in love, they decide to run away, he by freight train, she by bus, to Tulsa, Oklahoma to be together.  

Will their relationship succeed?  We'll never know, but I'm an optimist.