I've always liked what little of Katie Holmes' work I've seen. It seemed to me that she had an interesting quality that most critics either missed or ignored. Miss Meadows is proof that the lady is a serious actress of real depth and nuance. The eponymous heroine is a brilliant creation brought to life, and then some, by Holmes' performance. I can't stress this enough. This is a serious piece of work by the actress and in a better film might have led to all kinds of accolades. Here she's let down by the TV movie sensibilities of the script and of the casting. In some ways this is a brave movie, venturing into territory more frequently occupied by the French. Here though, the filmmakers don't seem to have understood the power of their creation and have opted for the safety of the known, the cliché. The supporting cast is similarly compromised. Holmes needed to have been surrounded by top class talent, capable of elevating their characters beyond the written page. It didn't happen and the moment has passed. One of the best, most complete female characters that American cinema has produced has been consigned to the scrap heap and Jennifer Jason Leigh's famous quote seems as true today as it was twenty years ago.
Review of Miss Meadows
