Meadowland (film)

Last updated
Meadowland
Meadowland Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Reed Morano
Written byChris Rossi
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Reed Morano
Edited byMadeleine Gavin
Music by Adam Taylor
Production
company
Distributed by Cinedigm
Release dates
Running time
105 minutes
Countries
  • Canada
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Meadowland is a 2015 drama film written by Chris Rossi and directed by Reed Morano in her feature debut. The film stars Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Juno Temple, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, John Leguizamo, and Ty Simpkins.

Contents

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2015. [1] The film was released in a limited release on October 16, 2015, prior to being released on video on demand on October 23, 2015, by Cinedigm. [2]

Plot

Sarah and Phil are on a roadtrip with their son, Jessie. They stop at a gas station to buy snacks and so their son can go to the bathroom; however, in the time it takes for them to make their purchases they find that their son is missing.

Sarah, who is a teacher, deals with her grief by obsessing over one of her students, Adam, who has Asperger's. He is ostracized by the other kids and treated poorly by his foster mother, Shannon. Phil meanwhile begins to attend a support group for parents who have lost their children.

Despite claiming that she knows their son is still alive, in the hazy aftermath of this loss, Sarah begins a downward spiral. Phil, a New York City police officer, starts to lose sight of his morals as Sarah puts herself in increasingly dangerous situations.

Cast

Production

On February 11, 2014, it was announced that Olivia Wilde would star in and executive-produce the dramatic film Meadowland, which Reed Morano would direct and shoot from a script by Chris Rossi. [3] On July 30, Luke Wilson, Natasha Lyonne, Elisabeth Moss and Eden Duncan-Smith joined the cast. [4] On August 18, Giovanni Ribisi, Ty Simpkins, Juno Temple, Scott Mescudi, Mark Feuerstein, and Kevin Corrigan were added to the cast. [5]

Filming

Principal photography began on August 18, 2014, in New York City. [6] [7]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2015. [1] On June 24, 2015 it was announced that Cinedigm had acquired distribution rights to the film and planned an October 2015 theatrical release. [8] The film had a limited release on October 16, 2015, prior to being released through video on demand on October 23, 2015. [2]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 92% based on reviews from 25 critics, with an average rating of 7/10. [9] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10]

Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian gave the film four stars out of five, and said, "What Meadowland refuses to do, to its great credit, is conform to expectations." [11] Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper gave the film three out of four stars, and wrote that "The filmmaking is sure-handed, the performances authentic." [12] Chuck Bowen from Slant Magazine gave the film three out of four stars, and also praised the performances: "Both Olivia Wilde and Luke Wilson understand the greatest pain of loss to be rooted in its searing inexpressibility." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giovanni Ribisi</span> American actor (born 1974)

Antonino Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. He is best known for his starring roles in the TV sitcom Dads (2013–2014) and the crime drama series Sneaky Pete (2015–2019). He has also appeared in the films Saving Private Ryan (1998), Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Heaven (2002), Flight of the Phoenix (2004), Perfect Stranger (2007), Avatar (2009), Public Enemies (2009), Gangster Squad (2013), A Million Ways to Die in the West (2014), and Papa: Hemingway in Cuba (2015). He also had recurring roles in television series such as The Wonder Years (1992–1993), Friends and My Name Is Earl (2005–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elisabeth Moss</span> American actor (born 1982)

Elisabeth Singleton Moss is an American actor and producer. She is known for her work in several television dramas, garnering many accolades, including two Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards, which led Vulture to name her the "Queen of Peak TV".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology and celebrities</span> Church of Scientology recruiting

Recruiting and retaining Scientologist celebrities and getting them to endorse Scientology to the public at large has been important to the Church of Scientology since its early days. The organization has had a written program governing celebrity recruitment since at least 1955, when L. Ron Hubbard created "Project Celebrity", offering rewards to Scientologists who recruited targeted celebrities. Early interested parties included former silent-screen star Gloria Swanson and jazz pianist Dave Brubeck. The Scientology organization has a particular interest in international focus on wealthy businesspeople and influencers to help promote its ideals. A Scientology policy letter of 1976 states that "rehabilitation of celebrities who are just beyond or just approaching their prime" enables the "rapid dissemination" of Scientology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Thirlby</span> American actress (born 1986)

Olivia Jo Thirlby is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Leah in the comedy-drama film Juno (2007), as Natalie in The Darkest Hour (2011) and as Judge Cassandra Anderson in Dredd (2012).

<i>Middle Men</i> (film) 2009 American drama film

Middle Men is a 2009 American drama film directed by George Gallo and written by Gallo and Andy Weiss. It stars Luke Wilson, Giovanni Ribisi, Gabriel Macht and James Caan. The movie is based on the experiences of Christopher Mallick, who was one of the founders of the first Internet billing companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Wilde</span> American actress (born 1984)

Olivia Wilde is an American actress, director and producer. She played Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on the medical-drama television series House (2007–2012), and has appeared in the films Tron: Legacy (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), The Lazarus Effect (2015), and Don't Worry Darling (2022), which she also directed. She made her Broadway debut in 2017 as Julia in 1984.

Ty Keegan Simpkins is an American actor. His notable film credits include Insidious (2011), its sequel Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013), Jurassic World (2015), and Insidious: The Red Door (2023). He is also known for his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Harley Keener in Iron Man 3 (2013) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), as well as the independent film The Whale (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Leguizamo</span> American comedian and actor

John Alberto Leguizamo Peláez is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and film producer. He has appeared in over 100 films, produced over 20 films and documentaries, made over 30 television appearances, and has produced various television projects. He has also written and performed for the Broadway stage receiving four Tony Award nominations for Freak in 1998, Sexaholix in 2002, and Latin History for Morons in 2018. He received a Special Tony Award in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Critics' Choice Television Awards</span> American television awards

The Critics' Choice Television Awards were accolades that were presented annually by the Critics Choice Association (CCA). They were established in 2011, and the first ceremony was held on June 20, 2011, and streamed live on VH1.com. The fourth ceremony was televised live, for the first time in award history, on June 19, 2014, on The CW. In October 2014, the A&E Network was granted exclusive rights to broadcast the television and film awards in 2015 and 2016. The final ceremony was in 2015, after which it was combined with the film awards and once again became the Critics' Choice Awards.

<i>Top of the Lake</i> Australian television series

Top of the Lake is a mystery drama television series created and written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, and directed by Campion and Garth Davis. It was broadcast in 2013, and the sequel, entitled Top of the Lake: China Girl, in 2017. It is Campion's first work for television since An Angel at My Table in 1990.

<i>Drinking Buddies</i> 2013 film by Joe Swanberg

Drinking Buddies is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written, directed and edited by Joe Swanberg, and starring Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick and Ron Livingston. The film is about two co-workers at a craft brewery in Chicago.

<i>Loitering with Intent</i> (film) 2014 American film

Loitering with Intent is a 2014 American comedy film directed by Adam Rapp and written by Ivan Martin and Michael Godere. The film stars Ivan Martin, Michael Godere, Brian Geraghty, Isabelle McNally, Natasha Lyonne, and Marisa Tomei. It premiered on April 18, 2014 at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film was released through video on demand on December 16, 2014, prior to a limited release on January 16, 2015 by The Orchard.

<i>The Benefactor</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

The Benefactor is a 2015 American drama film written and directed by Andrew Renzi. Starring Richard Gere, Dakota Fanning, Theo James, and Clarke Peters, the film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2015. It was released in the United States on January 15, 2016, in a limited release and through video on demand by Samuel Goldwyn Films.

<i>High-Rise</i> (film) 2015 film by Ben Wheatley

High-Rise is a 2015 British dystopian thriller film directed by Ben Wheatley from a screenplay by Amy Jump, based on the 1975 novel of the same name by J. G. Ballard. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller, Luke Evans, and Elisabeth Moss.

Reed Morano is an American film director and cinematographer. Morano was the first woman in history to win both the Emmy and Directors Guild Award for directing a drama series in the same year for the pilot episode of The Handmaid's Tale. Morano is known for her cinematography work on feature films such as Frozen River (2008), Kill Your Darlings (2013) and The Skeleton Twins (2014).

<i>The Circle</i> (2017 film) Techno-thriller film by James Ponsoldt

The Circle is a 2017 American techno-thriller film directed by James Ponsoldt with a screenplay by Ponsoldt and Dave Eggers, based on Eggers' 2013 novel of the same name. The film stars Emma Watson and Tom Hanks, as well as John Boyega, Karen Gillan, Ellar Coltrane, Patton Oswalt, Glenne Headly, and Bill Paxton.

<i>The Ticket</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

The Ticket is a 2016 American drama film directed by Ido Fluk and written by Ido Fluk and Sharon Mashihi. The film stars Malin Åkerman, Dan Stevens, Kerry Bishé, Oliver Platt, Liza J. Bennett, and Skylar Gaertner.

"Offred" is the premiere episode of the American television drama series The Handmaid's Tale. It was directed by Reed Morano, and written by Bruce Miller, adapting material from the 1985 Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaid's Tale. The episode debuted on the streaming service Hulu on April 26, 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Wilde filmography</span>

Olivia Wilde is an American actress and filmmaker. She is known for her role as Remy "Thirteen" Hadley on the medical-drama television series House (2007–2012), and her roles in the films Conversations with Other Women (2005), Alpha Dog (2007), Tron: Legacy (2010), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Butter (2011), Drinking Buddies (2013), The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), Rush (2013), The Lazarus Effect (2015), Love the Coopers (2015), and Meadowland (2015). In 2017, Wilde made her Broadway debut, playing the role of Julia in 1984. In 2019, she directed her first film, the teen comedy Booksmart, to critical acclaim. She then directed the 2022 film Don't Worry Darling.

The Power is an American-British science fiction drama television series developed by Raelle Tucker, Naomi Alderman, Claire Wilson, and Sarah Quintrell for Amazon Prime Video, based on Alderman's 2016 novel The Power. The first season consists of nine episodes and premiered on 31 March 2023 and concluded on 12 May 2023.

References

  1. 1 2 "Meadowland Tribeca Film Festival". Tribeca Film. 2015. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Meadowland". Apple Trailers. 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  3. Fleming, Mike Jr. (February 11, 2014). "Olivia Wilde Sets Thriller Pic 'Meadowland'". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  4. D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 30, 2014). "Olivia Wilde, Elisabeth Moss, Luke Wilson, Natasha Lyonne Head To 'Meadowland'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
  5. McNary, Dave (August 18, 2014). "Giovanni Ribisi, Ty Simpkins, Kid Cudi Heading to 'Meadowland'". Variety . Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  6. "ON THE SET FOR 8/18/14: OLIVIA WILDE STARTS MEADOWLAND, JOHN KRASINSKI WRAPS THE HOLLARS". studiosystemnews.com. August 18, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  7. Kay, Jeremy (August 19, 2014). "Bron's Meadowland begins New York shoot". screendaily.com . Retrieved August 21, 2014.
  8. Hipes, Patrick (June 24, 2015). "'Meadowland' with Olivia Wilde & Luke Wilson Lands at Cinedigm". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  9. "Meadowland (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  10. "Meadowland Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved February 22, 2020.
  11. Hoffman, Jordan (April 24, 2015). "Meadowland review – every parent's nightmare". The Guardian . Retrieved January 26, 2020.
  12. Richard Roeper. "Meadowland Parents Spiral Wake Tragedy".[ permanent dead link ]
  13. Bowen, Chuck (12 October 2015). "Review: Meadowland". Slant. Retrieved 22 February 2020.