Australian boardies: Picnic at Hanging Rock

[Garga]

My 9th grade son just read Picnic at Hanging Rock for world literature.  It was written by an Australian author in the 1950s and takes place in Australia in 1900.

 

Is there anything about this book that means anything to you?  Is this book something that everyone in Australia knows about?  Or is it something that everyone has forgotten and was only popular when it first came out?

 

We just finished watching the 1975 movie of the book and we found the movie awful.  There was so much rich content in the book that they skimmed over or cut and instead they had loooooong scenes of people looking around at the sky or off into space or aimlessly wandering around in tall grass.  

 

I've heard that they're filming a new version of the movie right now and we're going to watch the new version when it comes out.  Hopefully, it will have all the rich details that made the book interesting.

 

In the meanwhile, we were curious if this book means anything to Australians anymore. 

Edited April 25, 2017 by Garga_

[Rosie_0801]

I suppose most people have heard of it. I'd say it is iconic but not really important. Stories about old fashioned, white people are not so popular these days, for good reasons.

 

The long scenes of people staring at the scenery and wandering about have a purpose.

 

I hadn't heard they were filming a new version. That will be interesting. Thanks for the heads up. :)

 

[Rosie_0801]

I'd go see the new movie, except that there was a palaver about American actors being hired instead of Australian actors, so in solidarity, am staying away.

 

Bugger that then.  :thumbdown:

[Garga]

Most people my age or older know about it. My kids have heard about it. Not sure if any of them have read it. Or seen the older movie.  I agree with Rosie though - iconic, but not important.

 

I'd go see the new movie, except that there was a palaver about American actors being hired instead of Australian actors, so in solidarity, am staying away.

 

 

Bugger that then.  :thumbdown:

 

 

Nope.  English (3 of them) and Australian (a bunch) and French (1) actors.  The characters in the story are English, Australian, and French.  I clicked on all the names on this page and none were American.   It looks like they found actors from the county that the characters were supposed to be from.

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6038954/fullcredits

Edited April 25, 2017 by Garga

[Rosie_0801]

It would be strange seeing someone other than Anne-Marie Lambert playing Miranda. Almost as weird as Megan Follows not being Anne of Green Gables.

[Rosie_0801]

I think it is weird that an American company wants to remake a movie America didn't like.

[Garga]

I think it is weird that an American company wants to remake a movie America didn't like.

 

 

 

My son and I talked about that!  (Well, not the American part: we didn't know it's an American company making it.)  We said, "If we were film makers had read the book and then saw this movie, we'd say, 'Oh, I could totally do better than that!' and we'd have a go at it."  

 

The book was much, much better than the movie.  There was plenty of time to round out the movie, if they hadn't had all the looooong scenes of people staring around.  I mean, we knew it wasn't an action film, but there were all sorts of bits of character development in the book that were ignored.  It was hard to figure out the motivation of the characters from the movie alone.  In the book, you could get a really good sense of each person and why they acted as they did.  Scenes from the book that had impact fell flat in the movie.

 

It's usually like that though--the book is usually better than the movie. I was disappointed because the movie was only 1 hour and 45 minutes and the scenes dragged.  The movie makers didn't have to do that.  They could have made a 2 hour movie and included more about the characters and what made them tick.

[Rosie_0801]

I live in the region. The parts that are boring to you are very rich to me. :) They help recreate the familiar feeling of the heat, the boredom and the smell of the bush. 

 

The only thing wrong with the movie *for me* is the white swans. Why are the swans white? !!

[Garga]

I live in the region. The parts that are boring to you are very rich to me. :) They help recreate the familiar feeling of the heat, the boredom and the smell of the bush. 

 

The only thing wrong with the movie *for me* is the white swans. Why are the swans white? !!

 

 

Ooo!  Good question.  The Fitzhuberts were British people living in Australia.  Maybe they brought them with them for their lake?  

 

And in the book, Michael hallucinates and thinks he's seeing Miranda in her white dress by the lake, but then he realizes it's just a swan in the lake.  So somehow or other the swans were supposed to look like a girl in a white dress.  I'd say the Fitzhuberts brought them with them from England.

 

In the movie, the scene with the swan in his bed made us burst into laughter.  We didn't remember any swans in his bed, and we were thinking that anyone who hadn't read the book would be like, "WTH?  Why is there a swan in this guy's bed??"  Actually, WE were like WTH about the swan in his bed.  We figured it was meant to be a dream, but it looked funny to us.

 

We wanted to see the great friendship between Albert and Michael play out better, and how Irma fell completely in love with Michael and then he left her, despondent.  We wanted to see Mrs. Appleyard fall apart more than she did in the movie (in the book, there's a long downward spiral), and we wanted to see Mrs. Appleyard when she went to the rock.  We finished the movie and felt like we'd only see 1/4 of the actual story.

 

But...I do like how you said that the movie made you feel what it really feels like to be in Australia.  We did comment that there were a lot of bugs being picked up on the microphones, and so many flies hanging around everyone in the outdoor Hanging Rock scenes.  The actors kept having to brush them away.  And you could see the actors were red and sweaty.  It felt like how I'd imagine Australia being in the summer--hot and buggy with brilliant blue skies.  

 

ETA:  My son saw the Fitzhuberts at their picnic at Hanging Rock and said, "Oh, I imagined it much more cleared out where they were."  I said, "I have a feeling that *is* cleared out for Australia in that area."  Everywhere else in the scene had tall grass, but in that spot, the grass was shorter.

Edited April 25, 2017 by Garga

[Garga]

I feel like I'm being mean about the movie.   :(

 

 

I really think it's a case where we read the book too close to seeing the movie.  You know how it is.  90% of the time the movies just don't measure up to the book, especially if you just finished the book on the same day you watch the movie.  You can catch every inconsistency and every cut scene.  We should have waited a couple of weeks for the details to be foggier in our mind before watching the movie.  

 

(I really wanted that scene where the French teacher contacts the police officer because she thinks Mrs. Appleyard killed Sarah.  And we never know exactly the circumstances around what happened to Sarah...)

 

 

ETA:  One thing the movie clarified.  I can't believe I didn't put 2+2 together and realize that Albert and Sarah were long lost brother and sister to each other.  Duh!  They were both orphans.  I remember reading the book and thinking, 'Gee, there are a lot of orphans who lose their siblings in this book...'  Duh.  Note to self: when there are two orphans in a book and they each lost their sibling...they are the lost siblings!  It wasn't until I watched it that I caught on.  

Edited April 25, 2017 by Garga

[Rosie_0801]

ETA:  My son saw the Fitzhuberts at their picnic at Hanging Rock and said, "Oh, I imagined it much more cleared out where they were."  I said, "I have a feeling that *is* cleared out for Australia in that area."  Everywhere else in the scene had tall grass, but in that spot, the grass was shorter.

 

It's like that scene in the BBC P&P where Elizabeth is finding the untamed beauty of the wilderness breathtaking and all. It looks like farmland to me. :lol:

[Rosie_0801]

You are not being mean. You are comparing a book and a movie, and exploring the difference between home and not-home.

[Garga]

It's like that scene in the BBC P&P where Elizabeth is finding the untamed beauty of the wilderness breathtaking and all. It looks like farmland to me. :lol:

 

Yes!  The few movies/shows I've seen in Australia look very wild compared to what I'm used to.  

 

You are not being mean. You are comparing a book and a movie, and exploring the difference between home and not-home.

 

Thank you. :)

Edited April 25, 2017 by Garga

[Melissa in Australia]

I don't know if I have ever seen the movie. I remember reading the book when I was a teen and not being impressed.

[Ausmumof3]

I've actually never watched the movie but have visited the house where it was filmed as its open for tours. It has a bit of history of its own.

http://www.martindalehall-mintaro.com.au/news/

[SorrelZG]

In the movie, the scene with the swan in his bed made us burst into laughter. We didn't remember any swans in his bed, and we were thinking that anyone who hadn't read the book would be like, "WTH? Why is there a swan in this guy's bed??" Actually, WE were like WTH about the swan in his bed. We figured it was meant to be a dream, but it looked funny to us.

 

 

I bought the book after reading this thread this morning and came back just to comment that I reached the scene where Michael sees a white swan "sitting on the brass rail at the end of his bed. Michael and the swan looked at each other without surprise until the beautiful creature slowly raised its wings and floated away through the open window." It's chapter 8. Is that the same scene in the movie? It's been decades since I watched it and never knew there was a book until this thread so .. that's what I've been doing today and that's why I normally try to accomplish something before sitting down to read the forum lest my entire day get sidetracked. :-/

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I think I had to watch this at high school (mid to late 80s).

 

Even now, when the sky gets that yellow, eerie look, I still say 'It's all Picnic at Hanging Rock out there'. It's especially when it's still and all you can hear are insects. Eerie and mysterious!

 

 

For a good Australian novel and movie, I'd recommend Looking for Alibrandi. Now, that's good. It's sometimes studied in schools in senior years (age 16-17).

[Rosie_0801]

For a good Australian novel and movie, I'd recommend Looking for Alibrandi. Now, that's good. It's sometimes studied in schools in senior years (age 16-17).

 

Noooooo! Not that!!

 

Thanks for the English class flashbacks.  :glare:

[chocolate-chip chooky]

You don't like it??  :confused:

 

I'm too old to have studied it at school - my own older kids did - so I don't have the schoolish flashbacks.

[Rosie_0801]

You don't like it??  :confused:

 

I'm too old to have studied it at school - my own older kids did - so I don't have the schoolish flashbacks.

 

I think it was published when I was in year 11 or 12 and we had to read it because it was relevant. So no, I don't like it. It was too relevant. We'd been lumped with Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo the year or two before. For those lucky enough not to know it, it's like a guy version of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

 

I preferred to read books that promised I would one day be allowed to leave school and go out into a world worth living in.

 

 

Flashbacks  :zombiechase:

 

 

:lol:

 

 

 

Did you ever read 'Does My Head Look Big In This?' It's the hijabi version of Alibrandi.

[LMD]

I liked the book Alibrandi, we read it in year 8 I think. My friend and I saw the movie at the cinemas and hated it. I wouldn't call it great literature. Playing Beatie Bow was one I liked, and I have a copy to read aloud one day...

 

my dh read lochie Leonard in school, I unfortunately picked up his copy and read it. I'll never get that hour back.

Oh, but worse was a book our year 10?11? English teacher had us read, written by his mate. All about Melbourne's seedy, corrupt underworld. All I remember is a threesome scene and so much grit you could sand a plank...

[Rosie_0801]

I liked 'Playing Beatie Bow.' Our teacher started to read it to us in grade 6 but too many of the kids couldn't understand the moves between time zones so she gave it up.

[LMD]

oh really? That's sad! My grade 5 teacher read it to us, she also read us The Hobbit! Great teacher she was.

[Garga]

I bought the book after reading this thread this morning and came back just to comment that I reached the scene where Michael sees a white swan "sitting on the brass rail at the end of his bed. Michael and the swan looked at each other without surprise until the beautiful creature slowly raised its wings and floated away through the open window." It's chapter 8. Is that the same scene in the movie? It's been decades since I watched it and never knew there was a book until this thread so .. that's what I've been doing today and that's why I normally try to accomplish something before sitting down to read the forum lest my entire day get sidetracked. :-/

 

I think that's supposed to be the scene in the movie!  Yes.  Ok--I'd forgotten reading about that.  Maybe I'm getting scenes in the book mixed up in my mind.  

 

In case you're interested, the author wrote an extra chapter that does explain exactly what happened at the picnic at hanging rock.   You can get the last chapter.  It's called "The Secret of Hanging Rock."  I got it on my kindle.  Here it is if you want to read it on a pdf:  https://carusopascoski.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/secret_hanging_rock.pdf

Edited April 26, 2017 by Garga

[Serenade]

And here I clicked on this thread to find a picture of boardies having a picnic at Hanging Rock.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

And here I clicked on this thread to find a picture of boardies having a picnic at Hanging Rock.

 

Ooh, ooh, ooh.

 

Let's all put on flowing white gowns and wait for an eerie yellow sky and then sit on a rock together!

 

I'm in.

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I liked the book Alibrandi, we read it in year 8 I think. My friend and I saw the movie at the cinemas and hated it. I wouldn't call it great literature. Playing Beatie Bow was one I liked, and I have a copy to read aloud one day...

 

my dh read lochie Leonard in school, I unfortunately picked up his copy and read it. I'll never get that hour back.

Oh, but worse was a book our year 10?11? English teacher had us read, written by his mate. All about Melbourne's seedy, corrupt underworld. All I remember is a threesome scene and so much grit you could sand a plank...

 

You read Looking for Alibrandi in year 8?

I haven't read it in a looooong time, but my memory is that there's some adult content and quite confronting topics. 

 

I'm going to dig that book out and read it again.

 

I did like the movie and we even own the soundtrack  :)

 

 

 

And I love Nick Earls. He's from my neck of the woods, so we know the streets, shops, schools etc that he references. That makes it extra-fun.

I think some of his young adult books are sometimes used in senior here too.

 

 

Have any of you read Rebecca Sparrow's The Girl Most Likely?

She's also from my area and is my age, so her references are particularly relatable. Oh, I love that book. So, so funny. I need to dig that out and read it again too.

[Rosie_0801]

In case you're interested, the author wrote an extra chapter that does explain exactly what happened at the picnic at hanging rock.   You can get the last chapter.  It's called "The Secret of Hanging Rock."  I got it on my kindle.  Here it is if you want to read it on a pdf:  https://carusopascoski.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/secret_hanging_rock.pdf

 

Never!

[Garga]

Never!

 

 

 

:)

 

 

She had written it before it was published, but her publishers told her to nix it and leave it ambiguous.  

[LMD]

You read Looking for Alibrandi in year 8?

I haven't read it in a looooong time, but my memory is that there's some adult content and quite confronting topics.

 

I'm going to dig that book out and read it again.

 

I did like the movie and we even own the soundtrack :)

 

 

 

And I love Nick Earls. He's from my neck of the woods, so we know the streets, shops, schools etc that he references. That makes it extra-fun.

I think some of his young adult books are sometimes used in senior here too.

 

 

Have any of you read Rebecca Sparrow's The Girl Most Likely?

She's also from my area and is my age, so her references are particularly relatable. Oh, I love that book. So, so funny. I need to dig that out and read it again too.

I am fairly sure that it was 8th, maybe 9th. Wouldn't have been later than that as I changed schools for 10th. I don't think I have a copy, trying to remember *adult stuff* - was there just the teenage relationship stuff?

hmmm off to Google...

oh and the suicide, I had forgotten that. :(

 

I haven't read the other book you mention, how cool!

[chocolate-chip chooky]

Ooh, ooh, ooh.

 

Let's all put on flowing white gowns and wait for an eerie yellow sky and then sit on a rock together!

 

I'm in.

 

PS    I'll bring vegemite sandwiches.

[LMD]

I am so on board with a picnic at hanging rock. I would drive to the moon for a picnic with you awesome ladies. And vegemite sandwiches.

[Rosie_0801]

I am so on board with a picnic at hanging rock. I would drive to the moon for a picnic with you awesome ladies. And vegemite sandwiches.

 

I can be there in about 2 hours. :lol:

[Garga]

You guys should meet.  About 10 of us in the general area where I live (east coast of the US) have met up twice for a WTM get-together.  It was a lot of fun!  

[abba12]

You guys should meet.  About 10 of us in the general area where I live (east coast of the US) have met up twice for a WTM get-together.  It was a lot of fun!  

 

Lol. Australia is pretty big, and we're all in different corners of it. But a meet one day WOULD be great. 

 

I have heard of the book and I think I saw a clip from the movie in english class but I've never actually read it. It's on my list of aussie books to eventually read along with a little bush maid. 

[Rosie_0801]

Yeah. That's why I was laughing. I think I'm the only one who can get to Hanging Rock in 2 hours.

[abba12]

Yeah. That's why I was laughing. I think I'm the only one who can get to Hanging Rock in 2 hours.

 

Google says I should take an aeroplane, lol. I didn't know they gave flight directions!

18 hours from here. Should make a week long road trip out of it one day! lol

[Garga]

Well...duh!  I know Australia is big!  And I know most of you can't meet.   :lol:   Come on, guys, don't treat me like a dumb American who can't find your continent on a map.  

 

Out of the thousands of boardies here in the US, only 10 of us were within 2 hours' drive of each other.  I think one boardie drove more than 2 hours to meet with us, so there were only 10 of us within a 3 hour drive and my area is particularly well-populated in a way Australia isn't. So I completely understand that most Aussie boardies are far flung from each other.

 

It was just a suggestion that if any of you are anywhere remotely located by each other you might want to consider actually meeting.  Even if it's just three of you over lunch.  It's just a nice thing.  That's all.  

[Rosie_0801]

I've met a few boardies. Actually, the first I met was Hannah from South Africa while she was over here on holidays! :lol:

 

I think the closest boardie to me is 2 hours away. We used to see her a few times a year. The next closest is probably 8 hours away.

[Garga]

Google says if someone drives me, I can be there in 10.5 hours.

 

179 hrs if I walk :)

 

 

Walkabout??

 

 

:)

 

 

Edited April 27, 2017 by Garga

[abba12]

Well...duh!  I know Australia is big!  And I know most of you can't meet.   :lol:   Come on, guys, don't treat me like a dumb American who can't find your continent on a map.  

 

Of course you can. Please understand, the vast distances between population centres in Australia is a bit of a joke we make. Plus, I HAVE been asked more than once (mostly by Europeans who can visit 10 countries in a day) whether I know so-and-so because they're Australian too. *headdesk*

 

Unfortunately, I'm the furthest flung. I think we established there's only one other boardie in QLD, quite close to me actually but she doesn't post often. Regardless, everyone else here is south. You guys are lame (and apparently freezing your butts off this morning, so I hear  :lol: ). 

[Rosie_0801]

 You guys are lame (and apparently freezing your butts off this morning, so I hear  :lol: ). 

 

Yes. Sucks to be us. :lol:

[chocolate-chip chooky]

I'm in QLD  :seeya:

 

Google tells me it's only 17.5 hours drive to get to Hanging Rock, VIC. 

 

Easy peasy, squeeze the lemon.  ;)

[Rosie_0801]

It's ok. I haven't left yet. I'll take something to read while I wait. :lol:

[LMD]

Yeah. That's why I was laughing. I think I'm the only one who can get to Hanging Rock in 2 hours.

I can do it in about 2.5hrs!

[LMD]

and it's now afternoon and I'm still freeeeeeezing! *pout*

[Rosie_0801]

and it's now afternoon and I'm still freeeeeeezing! *pout*

 

Let's not go to Hanging Rock. It's cold there too.

[LMD]

I am obstinately parked in front of the fireplace today... may emerge from hibernation come spring.

[Rosie_0801]

I am obstinately parked in front of the fireplace today... may emerge from hibernation come spring.

 

If you are where I think you are, you don't even have Spring. You have 10 months of winter and 2 months on fire.

 

 

I don't wanna pay the entry fee to Hanging Rock anyway. :angry:

 

Enjoy not freezing your butts off, Queenslanders!  :cheers2:

[LMD]

literally on fire most of the time!

We had a fire alert nearby a couple of days ago, it was pouring rain!