To say that Miss Meadows (Katie Holmes) has a cheery outlook on life would be an understatement. She dresses like it’s the 1950s, and has taps on her shoes, dancing her way down the sidewalk each and every day.
Like a character straight out of a classic Disney movie, she even talks to bluebirds (no, they don’t talk back). She may live in a bad part of town, but that will never keep Miss Meadows from letting the world know she is, at all times, a very happy young woman, and that she is never afraid.
Why is Miss Meadows not afraid? Because, as we see in the film’s pre-title sequence, she also carries a gun in her tiny purse, and does not hesitate to use it when trouble arises.
Miss Meadows is a naive but happy-go-lucky first-grade substitute teacher. Miss Meadows is also a vigilante, taking down any and all lowlifes that get in her way. Written and directed by Karen Leigh Hopkins, 2014’s Miss Meadows is a comedy / drama that plays like a cross between Mary Poppins and Ms. 45.
Holmes delivers a strong, occasionally heartbreaking performance as a woman who loves life, loves her job (she develops a strong rapport with the kids in her class, especially Heather, played by Ava Kolker), and talks with her mother (Jean Smart) almost every night on the phone. She’s even found love for the first time after being swept off her feet by the town’s sheriff (James Badge Dale). In one of the film’s sweeter scenes, Miss Meadows and the Sheriff go on a date, picnicking in the park and dancing to imaginary accordion music (the Sheriff confesses that, were he not in law enforcement, he would have wanted to be a professional accordion player).
Next-door neighbor Mrs. Davenport (Mary Kay Place) says that the neighborhood has gotten brighter ever since Miss Meadows moved in, but also warns that the young woman should be careful on her walks. It seems that, due to overcrowding, some 2,000 inmates from the local prison were given early parole, many of whom are now residing in that very neighborhood. But Mrs. davenport doesn’t know what we know: Miss Meadows is more than capable of defending herself and dishing out her own brand of justice, which she does on several occasions.
She even confronts Skyler (Callan Mulvey), who lives a few doors down from her, when she discovers he had served time for child abuse. In a poignant scene, Miss Meadows sets up a ‘Welcome to the Neighborhood’ tea party in Skyler’s front room, pouring him a cup while warning him that, should he harm another child, she will shoot him dead.
It’s no big secret that a trauma from her past is what drives Miss Meadows to take the law into her own hands, and it is revealed to us, piece by piece, throughout the film via flashbacks (with Anna Moravcik playing Miss Meadows as a child).
It is but one of several surprises that Miss Meadows has in store for viewers. Some of those surprises are quite dark, and it’s amazing how well the film balances its brighter aspects with the darkness surrounding its title character.
With an outstanding performance by Katie Holmes at its center, Miss Meadows proved a pleasant surprise, and is a movie I would not hesitate to recommend.
Rating: 8 out of 10
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