Kim Novak in Picnic-- "The Pretty One"

Kim Novak on the set of "Picnic", getting pretty

In our continuing discussion of female characters in film that had an effect on me as a teenager, we now turn to Kim Novak's characterization of Madge in "Picnic" (1955).

So, yes, Picnic is dated, and the themes and characters are stereotypically drawn. But I was OBSESSED with "Picnic" when I first watched it, probably at the age of 16. And while I was loved it (and was particularly obsessed with a shirtless William Holden, which is a whole other topic of discussion), there was an aura to Novak's Madge that I couldn't quite crack. She complained about being identified as the "pretty one", but seemed static at the same time. I also, at 16, mind you,  couldn't understand why someone would be upset with being perceived as pretty-- I thought: "What's wrong with that? You ARE gorgeous". I was annoyed with her that she seemed so bored with her life, but not really doing anything to change it.

Longing for more

I also didn't grasp the depth of the love story plot with Holden's Hal, and what her motivations were. I was happy to see her finally navigating decisions of her own volition, but what were the reasons? To be perceived as pretty by Hal, a new man in town? Or, was she searching for something else? Either way, I was of course enchanted by the love story, by their iconic "Moonglow" dance, and when she leaves home at the end of the film to chase a life with Hal, I imagined that their life together would be beautiful and lovely and romantic. Ah, how naive 16 year old me was.

I've rewatched "Picnic" a number of times over the years. Most recently, a few weeks ago. Perhaps it's because I'm essentially double the age of when I first watched the movie, but I felt like I finally "got" Madge. Madge comes from a family where her father abandoned their family. Madge's mother Flo (Betty Field) has never gotten over that abandonment, and her primary hope for her daughter is that she land a good man, at a young age, so that he won't leave her. The most important detail? Madge must be beautiful, and she'll only be beautiful for so long, so she'd better land a dependable suitor sooner rather than later. According to her mother, Madge should maybe even consider "putting out" (not a 1950s term, I am aware) in order to clinch the deal. In other words, Flo is kind of a disaster. Madge feels an obligation to assume this identity, even though in her heart of hearts, that's not how she sees herself. She longs to be more than a sex object, she wants to be seen for who she is, not what she looks like. She wants people to look beyond her gorgeous exterior. Her dependable boyfriend Alan (Cliff Robertson) sees Madge as the woman to complete his perfect businessman image: she'll be a perfect future trophy wife. He wants to know if she "looks real in the moonlight". She's not even a real human to him, and she longs to be seen as real, as someone of substance.

In deep thought

Enter Hal. He's a drifter. He's always been perceived as a loser, as someone who will never get ahead. He's a misfit. In Madge, maybe he sees in her someone who also doesn't belong. They're kindred spirits, in an odd way. Madge is drawn to him, but cautious, too. Hal represents someone who would totally not be in line with the kind of life Flo envisions for her. Of course, the love story prevails. Hal ends up confiding in Madge about the mess of his life, the darkness of his childhood-- for Hal, Madge is someone he can talk to. Madge is finally being seen as something more than an object to stare at. (Literally the whole town stares at her when she is crowned the "Queen" at the picnic). He trusts her with his darkest thoughts. This is what Madge is drawn to: she falls for his vulnerability, but also for the fact that she is a real person that he is confiding in. I finally understood Novak's delivery of the line "I just get tired of being told I'm pretty", watching this film with that lens. She remains conflicted about her feelings for Hal, and carries guilt about cheating on Alan, but it's finally something that is her decision-- her first act of independence. Her first act of growing up.

Embarking on her own life

And now we get to what I view as the proto-feminist ending. Hal is leaving town, and Madge must decide if she will go with him. He catches the freight train and skips town, telling her where he will next be stationed. At this point of the film, watching it at 16, I ACHED for the two of them to go off together. Watching the film at 30, I ACHED for Madge to leave home and explore life for herself. Which is exactly what she does. Yes, she's heading for Hal, but we can see the writing on the wall that Hal will never change, and Hal and Madge are not destined to be forever. In my mind, and Novak plays this beautifully, Madge's real victory is gaining the independence and the courage to defy her mother. She doesn't want to live the life that Flo envisions for her. She wants to live the life that she envisions for herself. Novak beautifully builds her angsty portrayal of Madge to that final scene, where she finally lets out a genuine smile as she boards the bus to her new life.

Though at first glance, Picnic's center is Hal's story, the emotional core of the film is Madge's journey, and how Hal coming into town for one day changes the course of her life forever. How Hal gifts her with independence. How she finally finds the will to exact that agency.

Kim Novak according to Columbia

Knowing how Novak perceived her movie career, I can't help but think that there must have been a lot of Kim in Madge. She was thrust into the Columbia studio system, immediately painted as a sex symbol with lavender hair. She wasn't given many roles of substance. The Columbia studio portraits portrayed her as smoldering. I think she longed for more, just like Madge did. She has said in an interview with Robert Osborne that all she wanted was to portray her characters as honestly and vulnerably as possible. But I think she was misunderstood by Hollywood-- probably a reason why she left the business. Her form of artistic expression is now visual art. If I had to guess, she probably feels a freedom in expressing her soul, without the studio lights and glamourous makeup. For Kim and Madge, they just wanted to be real people. Watching "Picnic" now, I am struck by how many women are Madge, perceived as the "pretty one": no substance, brains, or depth. Society still dominantly prefers to salivate over if we're "real in the moonlight".

Kim Novak, the visual artist: on her own terms