I believe Madge's mother was right when she predicted what Madge's life would become married to loser Hal. A life of unhappy unfulfilled drudgery. Saddest of all is Rosemary and Howard. She bullies him into marrying her, which he does not really want to do, Their lives will be sadder and lonlier and angrier than ever. I love this film, and find the ending to be a total downer.
shareVery interesting discussion in this thread. First, I'd like to quote a comment that someone posted in the "Trivia" section for this film:
William Inge was obliged to continually rewrite the ending of his original stage play, even while it was in rehearsals, with the director rejecting each ending as being more depressing than the last. Inge's original idea was that Madge would stay in town, her shoulders slumped as she dragged herself to a dead-end job at a dime store, taunted by local boys who knew she'd thrown away her reputation to a drifter. The director insisted Madge had to chase after Hal and leave town, even though most of the audience would realize it would be a doomed affair. 'All right, I'll write it," Inge told him. "But I want you to know I don't approve." The director later wrote in his memoirs: "It's as though he killed his favorite child."
Reading this, it confirms how I feel about the ending, that even though Madge running away to join Hal may be a reckless act doomed to eventual failure, because of what transpired at the picnic and later that night, she really had no choice because to stay would most likely see her rejected by Cliff Robertson's character for her unfaithfulness to him anyway. At least getting out gave her a chance at happiness.
And besides, no matter what happened to her after she left, at the very least she wouldn't be in Kansas anymore, so I'd call that a win.
. . . there's always room for Jello!
If she'd stayed, and the night's activities covered up somehow, this is what I saw for Madge:
Unhappiness as a trophy wife.
Cliff Robertson starting to drink, unable to forgive his not being there first (my Goodness, I'm glad that stigma of man must have experience, woman untouched is fading away) and abusing Madge in increasingly obvious contemptuous ways, while making sure her family was taken care of just enough to make her leaving him more and more impossible as the years went by.
Hal floating and ultimately drowning with no shore to swim for, no one waiting on shore to build a house and sturdy moorings for at all.
The younger sister with a bitter view if she stayed and a hatred for her home town if she left. This way she knows she can go and come back.
The mother living with the open approval from others for the good match she'd made for Madge, and in the mirror at home looking at herself and seeing some one who'd sold her best commodity off for security.
Nah, I'm glad Inge got talked out of it. I know that happened in many small towns, but that movie helped people start thinking what if I did something different? And
you know what? Back then we had a strong middle class, and if two people worked hard enough together, they could get into it, achieve security, and whatever love they were also willing to work hard to keep alive.
One could argue that Madge and Hal had children, as parents they stayed working class, the children found out somehow Madge could have married Benson and they could have had "everything." And then they make her life miserable that way.
Well, look at "Six Degrees of Separation." Those children make me very glad I'm childless, and I've been in all stages of financial existence.
Chase after what makes you happy while you're free and then plan for what comes...I like the ending.
I already suspected that the writer's original ending was nothing like the "Hollywoodized" version of the movie and I'm rather grateful for that. Honestly, I don't get much out of sadder, more realistic endings to romances like Picnic. My own life is realistic enough. I watch films for entertainment!
When I was younger and first saw this film, I thought the ending was very romantic and happy. Now I think at the very least Madge should have said to Hal - "Send for me when you've got the job and an decent apartment." She should have given him that extra incentive to prove he could provide for a family by not joining him in Tulsa until then. If you have to work hard to get something, you appreciate it more and are less likely to abuse it once you have it.
I just rewatched this recently and it seems like Hal is pretty fed up with having nothing and wasting time feeling sorry for himself. He seemed like a fairly decent man besides the carousing and hard upbringing. He wouldn't want to hurt Madge and mess her up when he knows the life of security and nice things that she could have had with Alan. I get the impression that he'd work hard to provide a decent life for Madge.
~"Chris, am I weird?"
~"Yeah, but so what? Everybody's weird."
I can imagine Madge returning on that bus, say 18 months after the end of this film. She has a suitcase in one hand and a months-old daughter in the other. Like her own father, Hal has seen brighter lights, stronger liquor and faster women elsewhere. Madge trudges back to the old homestead where she, her mother and Mrs. Potts will raise the next generation of Owens females.
On the other hand, Millie will return in 4-5 years, dressed like the quintessential Greenwich Village beatnik, black everything. She will have actually published a coupla poems and short stories in obscure literary journals. When she sits on the front steps to smoke, her cigarette may be somewhat stronger than a Newport. Even better, she shows up with a New York boyfriend, maybe black, maybe Jewish! It'll be enough for Mrs. Potts to start guzzling some of her mother's meds...
May I bone your kipper, Mademoiselle?
I agree with those expressing disbelief at all the "cynicism" - I only put cynicism in quotes because I think it's not actually, or at the least, not ALL cynicism, but colored by shallowness, which is a depressing aspect of this time in the world. I'm convinced of this because of the number of comments referring to "loser Hal" - a man who was sent to jail at 14 because his mother just didn't want to be bothered with him. So he should be expected to NOT live n the moment, grabbing any bit of happiness he can find? He's all twisted up inside, so he should be expected to be concerned with being a "better man" and let her go....to be with his "friend" who tried to send him back to jail out of jealousy and pettiness? It's utterly ridiculous to judge this character that way.
shareWhat a pathetically condescending creature you are.
shareThey go to Tulsa,(big oil town) get married, and Hal gets a job in the oil business. To get a fresh start he changes his name and eventually becomes oil well fire specialist Chance Buckman, who extinguishes massive fires in oil fields around the world. Their story continues in the movie, "The Hellfighters"
shareWell, at least she would get out of that stifling little town where she was just a pretty face. Maybe she'd wise up, leave Hal and make her own way in the world.
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The characters of Hal and Madge were absolutely ridiculous. How exactly did their relationship develop? I didn't see any connection except that they were hot for each other. I loved how Rosemary and Allan told Hal the truth. And yes, the mother knew exactly what life was going to be like for her.
I actually thought Howard was quite pathetic. He was just a Hal wannabe, but didn't realize Rosemary was actually too good for him. She only settled for him because she realized she was too old to get anyone better.
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Somehow, I think that Howard and Rosemary probably worked out OK once they made the adjustments of living together.
Hal and Madge? That's a different story. LOL! Dancing perfectly together does not make a successful marriage.
Howard did have a smile on his face as they were leaving, so it seems he was happy with the decision Rosemary made for the both of them. I'm sure their shared love for alcohol will also help a bit.
Hal and Madge. I saw nothing romantic about their relationship.
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I liked the dance, although, I understand from having seen it on TMC, that neither Kim Novac or William Holden were very good dancers. It was all swaying and good camera work that made them look good.