A year after their son goes missing, a couple handle the loss in varying ways, growing apart from one another and their reality.A year after their son goes missing, a couple handle the loss in varying ways, growing apart from one another and their reality.A year after their son goes missing, a couple handle the loss in varying ways, growing apart from one another and their reality.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 5 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOlivia Wilde was cast, but then got pregnant. Director Reed Morano's response was to postpone filming, thinking that becoming a parent would only benefit the film.
- Quotes
Adam: I know who you are. You're a teacher, at Essex County, right? I know, I know, cause I've seen you. My son goes to school there. Yeah, not teaching today, huh?
Sarah: No.
Adam: What is it, recess? My son's name is Adam. He's "special needs." You'd recognize him if you saw him.
Sarah: There's a lot of kids.
Adam: You know what this song's supposed to be about?
Sarah: It's about a fire lake?
Adam: Wow, you are a teacher.
Sarah: You send your son to a regular school?
Adam: Yeah, until they kick him out.
Sarah: You don't send him to a special education program, or anything?
Adam: No, he's... He's a foster kid, right? And the agency claims they didn't know about his condition. We thought we were getting a...
Sarah: ...normal kid?
Adam: Yeah right, okay, I'm an asshole, alright? But you know, look, it's a burden.
Sarah: They don't let you just dump him?
Adam: I'm glad you weren't my teacher.
Sarah: You should be.
Adam: Look, I mean... He's a sweet kid but if you're looking for Rain Man, or like a math genius, or a classical fucking pianist, you're out of luck.
Sarah: I heard that a lot of these kids, though, they're gifted. You just have to recognize what it is.
Adam: Oh, he's gifted in starring at the fucking TV all day. So am I. And what's your special talent? What are you good at?
Sarah: Well, I'm...
Sarah: [Sarah and Joe start to have sex in a hotel room and Sarah rides Joe even harder] Fuck! Fuck me! Harder! Oh yeah! Do that! Do that! Yes!
Sarah: [after Joe cums on Sarah's face, she starts to get dress] Is it three o'clock yet?
Adam: No.
Sarah: I'm supposed to pick up Adam. And I'm giving you a B+.
Adam: Well, I'm glad you weren't my teacher.
The dour nature that imbeds itself into almost every single scene of this sometimes heart rendering bleak tale of grief, loss and heartache may be too much for some to bare but it's also in many ways Morano's greatest achievement, even though it doesn't make for typically entertaining viewing.
Given a meatier role than she's normally afforded, Olivia Wilde does a commendable job as the lost mother of a missing boy Sarah and alongside the well casted if under used Luke Wilson as her equally lost husband Phil the two actors give Meadowland their all and tackle the hard subject matter with aplomb even though we're sadly as an audience never truly aloud into their characters inner sanctum which hurts the films overall emotional gut punches.
Morano, as is the case with most first time directors, unfortunately fails to properly engage the audience into the films overall heart and soul and characters like Giovanni Ribisi's underused Tim and the odd appearance of Juno Temple's seductress like Mackenzie seem like missed opportunities while Sarah's odd feelings towards mentally handicapped school student Adam never really ring true especially towards the films last act and the film is undoubtedly at its strongest when the narrative focus's more intently on the plight of Sarah and Phil as they consider what may've become of their lost son and how they deal with the pain alongside each other.
Sometimes powerful, often frustrating and always from the get go grey cloud gloomy, Meadowland is an impressive first up effort by Morano and features committed turns by the normally misused Olivia Wilde and sometimes auto piloted Luke Wilson that make it a film worthy of your time as long as you're willing to go along with its depressive nature.
3 stale car snacks out of 5
- eddie_baggins
- Oct 16, 2016
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- How long is Meadowland?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 45 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1