MISS MEADOWS
US, 2014, 88 minutes, Colour.
Katie Holmes, James Badge Dale, Callan Mulvey, Jean Smart, Mary Kay Place, Ava Kolker, Stephen Bishop, James Keane.
Directed by Karen Leigh Hopkins.
Miss Meadows is a brief black comedy. Katie Holmes, who served as an executive producer, his chirpy and breezy as Miss Meadows, seen walking along a suburban Street, reading poetry, prim in her outfit, doing skips and dances. She is a very proper young woman. A passing truck driver makes unwelcome advances, draws a gun – and she shoots him, putting her go back in her handbag, adjusting herself and continuing on her way.
Clearly this is going to be a black comedy. And, this is reinforced throughout the film with Miss Meadows giving her a very strong vigilantes views about eliminating criminals, are going to a diner and finding a massacre and taunting the killer and shooting him. She also encounters a sexually abusive priest and, as he declares his doing God’s work, she shoots him also. And there is a climax with the recently released prisoner whom she had confronted and who abducts the little girl from the kindergarten class that she teaches and who admires her and wants to be like her. Miss Meadows runs for the church and her wedding ceremony to rescue the little girl, saved by the sheriff who shoots him.
The sheriff is a genial man, played by James Badge Dale, immediately attracted to her, taking her out, going to church with her, the sexual encounter, a proposal, her pregnancy, and his leaving the church to save her. He explains that the killer’s prints and her gun and so all will be well.
The film was written and directed by Karen Leigh Hopkins, keeping the tone between prim respectability and the vigilante behaviour and principles. There is an interesting supporting role from Jean Smart as Miss Meadows mother – who is finally revealed as a memory in her daughter’s troubled psyche.
1. The title? Room? The film’s emphasis on good manners? But the underlying black humour?
2. The Ohio town, the streets, the suburban houses and gardens, the school, the police precinct, the countryside and the sea, the church and ceremonies? The musical score? Jaunty and good mannered? The atmosphere and too-da-loo?
3. Katie Holmes as Miss Meadows, age, prim, her dresses and outfits, good manners, chats with the neighbours about gardens as well as security grills? Teaching at the school, her presence with children, the classes, the activities, making friends with Ruth and Ruth’s admiration? The discussions about death, angels in heaven? The reclusive boy and her concern? The encounter with the sheriff, parking the car on the bridge, saving the toad?
4. Audience response to the lascivious man in the van, his gross invitations, his gun, her shooting him, putting the gun back in her purse? Continuing on the street and a little dance?
5. Miss Meadows and her phone calls to her mother, the personality of the mother, praising her daughter, protecting her daughter, suspicious of men? Miss Meadows ringing about the sheriff, her pregnancy, the marriage? The flashbacks to the ceremony, black-and-white, the little girl, her mother and the dress, the drive-by shooting? And the revelation that her mother was a figment of her imagination?
6. Miss Meadows as a vigilante, her theories about justice, the impact of the memories of her past, speaking frankly about villains, those released from prison and living in the town, explaining her theories to the sheriff? The episode of going to buy hotdogs for the children, the massacre in the shop, the confrontation with the perpetrator, his putting the gun in his mouth and her advice, her shooting him? The later revelation that Ruth had seen her? Yet Ruth devoted to her, wanting to be like her, infiltrating the house, getting into the bed?
7. The sheriff, his personality, first meeting on the bridge, the attraction, his coming to the house, the going out, the conversations, seeing her in the church, her singing in the choir, not being Catholic, his being a recovering Catholic? The dates, the outings, his puzzle about attitudes? His work with his fellow officer and solving the crimes? The sexual experience, the effect? His proposal, the acceptance, her pregnancy and going to the doctor, her telling the sheriff?
8. The suspicious man released from prison, his dog, taunting Miss Meadows, her going to see him, the gift, the talking straight, his saying he had reformed? His resentment against her?
9. The reclusive boy, in class, hurrying to the priest, her coming after him, the priest and the sexual abuse, his declaring that he was doing God’s work, her shooting him?
10. The wedding, the sheriff at the altar, her being late, Ruth and her disappearance, her hurrying to see the criminal, his taunting her, the gun, his taking her gun, the sheriff in pursuit, shooting him?
11. The sheriff knowing the truth, willing to do anything for her, the criminal’s prints and the gun, and not being a suspect?
12. His wanting to play the accordion, the domestic scene, mother and baby, her going out, primly walking, her outfit, going on her vigilante mission?
13. How well did the sympathy for Miss Meadows mix with audience attitudes towards her carefree vigilante attitudes and behaviour?
