The most important things in life are kindness and courage.

Katie Holmes outdoes herself as Miss Meadows, a character aptly described as a “Pulp Fiction Mary Poppins.” By day, Miss Meadows is the picture of femininity—from the ribbon in her hair down to her patent leather tap shoes. She charms the occupants of her quiet little town and has her elementary school students and the handsome local Sheriff (played by James Badge Dale) in her thrall. After school, however, she moonlights as a vigilante, dispatching without hesitation any criminal who crosses her path. 

Written and directed by Karen Leigh Hopkins (Stepmom), Miss Meadows is an absorbing satire with grim undercurrents rippling beneath its pristine surface. The film opens here in NYC this Friday, November 14 at Cinema Village.