Meadowland. 2015. USA. Directed by Reed Morano. 105 min.
Courtesy of Cinedigm. A small middle-class family is utterly shattered when Phil (Luke Wilson) and Sarah’s (Olivia Wilde) young child suddenly disappears. Fast-forward one year, and the initial shock has subsided but life is just never the same. Each deals with grief and loss while attempting to maintain a degree of normalcy at work and at home. As Phil attends group therapy and tries to come to terms with the reality of never seeing his child again, Sarah spirals into increasingly dangerous and self-destructive behavior. Wilde, who is also a producer of the film, gives a breakthrough performance, exploring the depths of Sarah's emotional state. First-time director Reed Morano, an accomplished indie cinematographer (who also shot this film), avoids excessive sentiment by honing in on nuances of emotion and action. Although the backdrop is a nightmarish event, Meadowland stays tender and focused, a poignantly crafted portrait of grief. The film also features memorable support performances by Giovanni Ribisi and John Leguizamo, both playing characters who are quietly enduring pain of their own.