Review #22 | "Meadowland" (2015)

At the Savannah Film Festival "Meadowland" director Reed Morano and star Olivia Wilde were in attendance to speak about the work they did on this film. Given the content of the film, they were very generous to be so open about their processes.

"Meadowland" begins with the disappearance of Sarah (Olivia Wilde) and Phil's (Luke Wilson) son. The rest of the film centers on their journey of coping with the loss of a child, and holding onto the hope that the child is found. As an audience member, you really become the characters in this film. Thanks to the predominately handheld filming by director Reed Morano, the audience can buy into the grief and disturbances of Sarah and Phil.

This film is not for the faint of heart. The content is gut wrenching. Even the most simple shots are the most impactful ones - there is nothing that can be done to help these people. As an audience member and friend of the characters you really feel just as helpless as if the story is reality. Unfortunately for some people, this story, or woes of equal or greater stress, are a reality. Wilde and Reed mentioned in their Q&A that their ultimate goal was to focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and create a film that anyone with any kind of grief - related or unrelated to child abduction - could empathize and cope with.

Out of the many themes in "Meadowland" such as loneliness, grief, depression, addiction, self harm, denial, etc, etc, there is a pathway to a very real emotional connection with this film. Although the content is so heavy, there is a light at the end. Morano moved a more lighthearted scene to create a more sensible ending in line with their goals for the film. The ambiguity of the ending following the moment before is the kind of serendipity that can make any human happy to wake up every morning.

Even Wilde mentioned that it actually didn't depress her as much as she thought during the filming process to go home to her newborn son, and that making this film made her appreciate life as it is. She shared a memory of driving home from set, admiring the sunset, and being happy to be alive. Her work on this film is unparalleled. Her performance is raw and visceral. She does not hold back. Neither does Luke Wilson. The relationship they created between Sarah and Phil is very natural and heartbreaking to watch unfold. Wilde divulged that herself and Wilson did not have any pre-shoot rehearsal time together but they were able to work so well off of each other instinctively that it ended up working in a very beneficial way for their characters who are grieving and attempting to cope in their own very separate ways.

The symbolism in this film is everywhere and nowhere - it demands to be noticed but only at the viewer's discretion. This is an ambiguous film and the symbolism can be interpreted as ambiguously or literally as one likes. Only a devoted and empathetic creative team can create a film of such serious content and be so devoted to taking care of the audience in such a way - it really enhances the coping process of watching the film and trying not to throw yourself into it. Like a method actor, and audience member can get too wrapped up in a film. That's what we like though, to have a film leave an impression on our minds, psyche, and purest emotions. Having the liberty, as an audience member, to interpret parts of the film your own way is a very liberal gift to recieve.

_________________________

Rated R.

Directed by Reed Morano. Starring Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, and Juno Temple.