amy merrick by amym 52

living in: picnic at hanging rock



I have a love/hate relationship with Picnic at Hanging Rock. The love part- an Edwardian boarding school murder mystery. Or is it a disappearance mystery? Or just plain old psychological mind meld mystery? It leaves a lot to the imagination. The hate part- while set in 1900 in Australia, the movie looks stupidly 1970s at times. Plus, there’s a very painful flute melody throughout that makes me shudder (you’ll know what I mean.) But that’s the charm of a low-budget period piece, they tend to not age gracefully. One must just accept and move one, because in the end it’s worth it.

vintage straw boater hat $15, ivory parasol $33, antique edwardian dress $625, picnic basket $75, lace up boots $400, storm lantern $44, pocket watch $70, wool blanket $40, antique cameo ring $250.




For all of the movie’s funny little quirks, it also packs a (albeit slow moving) punch. Come prepared for some unanswered questions and head scratching. But if you’re a sucker for sweetly feminine gone horribly tragic as much as I am, you’re in for a real treat. Warning- your boyfriend/husband/sensible friend’s eyes will roll from the get go so send ‘em packing beforehand. -amy m.

antique valentine $5, workshop cage lamps $195/each, mosquito net $35, antique pendant with medal $175, vintage leather suitcase $230, magnifying glass $40, adoptable lizard, emeline chair $2498, persian blue silk ribbon $29.

52 Comments

carlene

I have never seen this one, but a sometimes stupidly 70s edwardian period piece? I am so there. Maybe I’ll watch with the sound off.

Holly

I love this movie! I watched it a million times when I was 15. It’s beautiful and creepy and it’s true that some of the creepiness comes from that general creepiness that a lot of 70s movies have.

Kersten

“The movie looks stupidly 1970s at times” — that is hilarious!

Holding out for a Living In: The Royal Tenenbaums!

kate so

You are kidding! I didn’t know anyone knew about this movie. I went to a really small high school in the Midwest. Every year our drama club put on a production, a play one year then a musical the next. My junior year we put on, “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” As you can imagine it was a little rough.
Thanks for the memories!

l

Several of the prices are off. Toast is based in England and the prices are in pounds.

Shellie

Yes so true about the flute…I remember thinking that when I saw it in the 1980s…It was so beautiful though.

amya

l – actually the prices are correct – they have been converted from pounds to dollars using the current exchange rate – so £29 = $44 (unfortunately!) thanks!
-amy a.

liane

amy- i had the same reaction to this movie. couldn’t decide if i liked it or no. definitely creepy. maybe i’ll watch it again.

liane

by the way, cheesy 70s movie which completely unnerved me as a kid- “let’s scare jessica to death”. anyone else exposed to that one?

Donna Jolly

Okay, I was telling the Hearts On Fire team about this post and it turns out we are all fans of the movie. I think it’s a bit better known than some of the comments here would suggest, but maybe we are just a bunch of film geeks. Great story. Thanks!

Carol

That film haunted me so much after I watched it when I was around 12-13. Must see if I can find a copy out there, would love to watch it again.

carina

haha, you sum the movie up perfectly!
My friend and I watched this one night, and the next day went climbing around Hanging Rock. Its a weird, but interesting place

Suz

i just Netflixed it, its available as an instant movie. Lovely and creepy!

Adla

I like the themed post! I loved the novel and found the film to be a disappointment as well – but isn’t that always the case! I think your post is lovely!

Donna

This had me so scared as a kid! Part of that fear came from the widely-believed myth that it was based on a true story.

Laura

I watched this for the first time recently and really liked it. Creepy and yes the 70s gave us us some super weird cinema! This one was weird in a good way (sans flute!). Love “Living In!” You always manage to feature many of my favorites as well as introduce new favorite-to-bes!

Tania

I live just down the road from Hanging Rock, the very place in the movie! Amazingly though I’ve neither read the book or seen the movie! I must do it. Book first or movie?

Jasmine

Can never see the title without calling “Miraaannndaaa…” in creepy voice.
Just had a picnic at Hanging Rock a few weeks ago. Here is a link to info:
http://www.hangingrock.info/
it is a bit f a weird place – easy to imagine the film is based on a truly ruly! (Maybe it is…).

Stacey

I expressed my feelings about this movie perfectly!!

That pan flute really grates on my nerves.

Jen

It looks absolutely amazing visually. Sometimes that makes up for the not so perfects aspects of a film, doesn’t it? I’m going to add it to my Netflix right now..

puddle

I was seriously way too young when I saw this movie for the first time.
It freaks me out. Like “Pretty Baby” (Mega Yikes) and Days of Heaven (creepy).

But, yes, beautiful.

Emma

When I was in film school, this movie was required watching. It was directed by Peter Weir (Witness, Dead Poet’s Society). It is totally creepy and dreamy and stays with you for days. I love the Edwardian clothing you have pulled for it.

Mary

I love design sponge, but please dont use ‘adoptable lizard’ as a design piece. All lizards have very specific dietary and habitat needs. The lizard pictured is a bearded dragon, which is a good tempered lizard. Sweet even. But, the website you point to also lists much larger and more aggressive animals for sale.

Tessie

“Not age gracefully”? Ouch! This is an Australian classic. And we don’t have many of those, comparatively speaking. This is about as good as it gets for us. That flute music is cemented to my brain.

Dan

Haha… that’s ridiculous – My wife and I were just talking about that film. She had to read the book and watch the movie for a theatre adaptations class, and then watch her school’s poor rendition of an already ridiculous film. Crazy girls do crazy things when dramatic pan pipes play the same three shrill notes non stop for the entire movie. Gah! The “music” is stuck in my head now!

zoya

i haven’t saw this movie yet but it appealing to watch it, the Edwardian dress looks cool

eugenia

To help understand it try reading Joan Lindsay’s Time Without Clocks.

Also Hanging Rock has a REALLY spooky feel, but very beautiful in a rugged sort of way!

Stephanie

Picnic at Hanging Rock is an Australian classic!! Both of my older sisters had dresses similar (although not full length) to the one you’ve posted. We all thought Miranda was beautiful……

Stitch Sista

Tania, read the book first! I am a couple of hours drive from Hanging Rock also. I remember that creepy feeling I got from reading the book in high school.

jody

No, no, no…the flutes are what triggers all the memories of the movie, which as an Aussie, is considered a classic LOL

LizM

A) That movie rules.

B) Love the Living In series.

C) The music is by Zamphir, “master of the pan flute.” No joke.

msd

I love this film! The music sticks in my head, but not in a bad way. Pan flutes weren’t so naff when it was released in the early 70s. It’s so beautiful and mysterious and creepy. A puzzle without a solution. I saw it when I was a moody, poetry-loving teenager which is really the best age to see it, I think.

The interesting thing is the way it’s Gothic but very sunny and clean and white rather than the cliche of moody black. It’s surprisingly influential in a cult-ish way too. The Virgin Suicides borrowed a lot of its imagery and tone from this movie. Alexander McQueen (RIP) did a Picnic At Hanging Rock inspired collection a few years back. And Rodarte have also mentioned it. It seems to be especially popular with fashion designers.

Oh and I once went on a camping trip with friends and for some reason it triggered this strange, hysterical thing where everytime someone wandered off someone else in the group would call out “Miranda, Miraaaannndaa, don’t go up there. Come back! (scream)” I guess you had to be there. ;)

MS

beautiful images and love the unstodginess of a period piece. but the music was WAY too much. also, it takes a while to get through, with all that focusing back on hanging rock, like ? ? ?

Sarah

Good choice! But I have to say I actually like the 70s/Edwardian look. I might even go as far as saying that it adds to my enjoyment of the movie.

Merryl

Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of my all time fav movies! The scenes of the girls and teachers being driven through a small Aussie town toward Hanging Rock were actually filmed in the Adelaide Hills town of Strathalbyn where we live

Lacy Simons

I just rewatched this a few weeks ago, and I’m not even kidding you when I tell you that a bit later I commented on a NY friend’s Facebook post about a “Living In” theme that you guys should totally do a ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ post. Now I feel like you can hear my wishes & make them come true, so next can I have a home loan and quiet neighbors?

Lynne

I fell completely in love with this movie when it was first released (and I was around 10 years old) adoring everything including the music. With my friends we spent hours trying to resolve the mystery. The book is interesting as well, and as another poster mentions, Joan Lindsay’s Time Without Clocks is a great adjunct.
Although judging from some of the other comments, you might need to be an Aussie to really “get” this film.

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