Picnic at Hanging Rock

A film review by Christopher Null - Copyright © 2001 Filmcritic.com

Long before The Truman Show, Peter Weir put together this sleek yet frustrating story of four prep-school girls who vanish without a trace from an Australian geological site, Hanging Rock. Set in 1900, it's a corseted tale of weird spiritualism and repressed emotions common in the era -- all scored by Zamfir and his pan flute(!) Based on a novel, not a true story, it still recalls later films like Heavenly Creatures, which actually pulled off this kind of moody, brooding tale of wierd teenage girls with more aplomb.

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Rating

3.5 out of 5 Stars

Cast and Crew

  • Director: Peter Weir
  • Producer: Hal McElroy, Jim McElroy
  • Screenwriter: Cliff Green
  • Stars: Rachel Roberts, Vivean Gray, Helen Morse, Kirsty Child, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, Jacki Weaver, Frank Gunnell, Anne-Louise Lambert, Karen Robson, Jane Vallis
  • MPAA Rating: NR