MOVIE OF THE WEEK November 10, 2023: A PLACE IN THE FIELD
As intense international conflict again dominates the headlines with tragic stories of loss and suffering, director Nikki Mejia’s feature debut, A Place in the Field, feels particularly timely. Her contemplative, emotionally resonant drama about Giovanni Scuderi (Don DiPetta, who also co-wrote the film), a former soldier grappling with unresolved feelings of guilt and grief that kick into high gear after the death of his best friend, puts a very human face on the long-lasting trauma of war.
Gio is living a quiet but uneasy life as the film opens. He has a job that fills his days, and he’s in love with empathetic doctor Jess (Mishel Prada) — but he holds her at arm’s length, unable to put his feelings and experiences into the right words. Then a package arrives that shakes Gio’s fragile foundations to the core: It contains an urn with the ashes of his former comrade-in-arms and a letter asking Gio to take the remains on the road trip they always talked about, crossing the Southwest to head to California.
So Gio — accompanied by the mischievous Herbert (Khorri Ellis) — hits the road. Along the way, the facts of Gio’s friend’s death (as well as his life) unspool, as do memories, both painful and precious, of their time together serving in the Middle East. Car trouble leads to fortuitous detours and unexpected opportunities for healing, with Gio remembering — often through healing encounters with women — how to see and appreciate life’s beauty and vulnerability. DiPetta’s lead performance is compelling, with the two versions of Gio — present and past — feeling almost like two different people, a tactic that’s surely intentional, given the movie’s messages about the impact of war on those who serve.
Mejia, whose ability to tell an ultra-realistic male-centered tale as a female director is reminiscent of Chloe Zhao’s work on The Rider, brings empathy and love to A Place in the Field. She gives DiPetta time and space to fully settle into his character, working with him to effectively convey Gio’s literal and figurative journey forward, away from the pain of the past toward — hopefully — the love and self-acceptance of the future. — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Sherin Nicole A character arc is a map that outlines the path a character takes from who they are to who they must become. When that arc is tied to a road trip, the metaphor doubles or perhaps distills, becoming both literal and spiritual. Directed by Nikki Mejia and told from the perspective of Gio (Don DiPetta), an Afghanistan War vet who is caught up in a torrent of grief, traumatic stress, and guilt, A Place in the Field is that kind of “trip.” When Gio receives his best friend’s ashes and is tasked with a mission to fulfill their cross-country road trip dreams, our protagonist is bound by loyalty. Yet, just as the saying goes, it isn’t the destination but the journey. Gio’s path to healing is tied to the road, the people he meets along the way, and the safety versus the risks of receiving enough space to mourn. To grieve not only the loss of his friend or his soldier’s remorse but also the version of himself he must leave buried out there somewhere. The resulting film is visually gorgeous and as quietly unobtrusive as a documentary.
Leslie Combemale It’s not like there isn’t a plethora of road trip movies where part of the story is the lead character dragging around an urn filled with the ashes of a friend. A Place in the Field, however, is a film apart, and has a meditative yet urgent quality centered on the wide ranging effects of trauma on the human spirit. It helps that co-screenwriters and lead Don DiPetta and Khorri Ellis are relative unknowns, so they carry only the baggage of the characters they play. There’s a rare balance of both brotherhood and women standing in their power represented, which suggests a great collaboration between director Nikki Mejia and her cast and screenwriters was in force. In particular, the subject of veterans with PTSD and survivor guilt is handled with sensitivity and emotional authenticity, giving it decided cinematic value. This is a great calling card for Mejia as an up-and-coming force as a filmmaker.
Nikki Fowler: A Place In The Field from Director Nikki Mejia is an emotional look at PTSD in army veteran Gio Scuderi who travels through the deserts of the Southwest grappling with loss and reflecting on love and friendship, as well as mental health. The film is uncomfortable, as the filmmakers take you from past to present with traumatic flashbacks of war and how Scuderi is processing past events in real time. A Place In The Field captures the beauty of finding one’s way and challenges the stereotypes many people have about mental wellness, especially as it relates to war and violence. “Bad people don’t care about the past,” speaks volumes about those suffering with trauma and anxiety and having to fit into the box we call ‘normal’ life. Capturing this well written story, Mejia’s lens beautifully helps to paint a new normal on self discovery and survival.
Jennifer Merin A Place in the Field is an affecting and effective drama about the power of love in recovery from trauma. Director Nikki Mejia’s debut feature follows an Afghanistan War combat veteran’s quest for unburdening himself of the guilt he has possessed him since he survived a landmine explosion that killed two innocent young girls. As his story unfolds, women and women’s wisdom are at the core of his healing. All of the performances are authentic and compelling, and give the viewer the impression that the film is a creative passion project for all those involved. The film is male-centric, but presents strong and memorable women characters and a decidedly feminist point of view about trauma and healing. Its emotional impact lingers long after the credits roll.
Liz Whittemore In Nikki Mejia’s moving film A Place in the Field, unresolved trauma, redemption, and the commitment to fulfill one big promise drive war veteran Gio’s epic road trip. Don DiPetta is exceptional in the role of Gio. His resentment and simmering anger hide beneath the surface like a pot about to boil over. Surrounded by a strong supporting cast, DiPetta’s vulnerability is what captivates. The use of natural light gives the film life. The cinematography is striking. Meija’s use of pack symbolism is clever, as the juxtaposition of coyotes and Gio’s fallen brothers is unmistakable. Alongside progressively artistic flashbacks from his time in the field, the screenplay is equal parts poetic and cathartic. A Place in the Field has an undeniable emotional pull, one that slowly creeps up on you. Gio’s grief and anxiety are palpable. The film is a real win for Nikki Mejia and an eye-opening experience for audiences. If nothing else, it will make you reconsider our moral responsibility to our returning soldiers. PTSD aside, we’re doing the bare minimum for our veterans.
Cate Marquis A Place in the Field is director Nikki Mejia’s drama centered on a combat veteran suffering from PTSD and haunted particularly by memories of a minefield explosion that killed two young girls and traumatized his best buddy. We meet Gio (Don DiPetta) as a reclusive carpenter in rural Texas, a man who rebuffs most human contact, including from a kind-hearted woman doctor (Mishel Prada) to whom he is drawn. When a package arrives in the mail, he has a strange reaction to it after reading its accompanying letter – tossing the unopened package into the yard. Yet he does finally open it, and we see it contains a funeral urn with an accompanying letter directing him to take the urn to his best friend’s hometown in California by a certain date. The task sparks a road trip on whicxh he is accompanied by an army buddy (Khorri Ellis). Scenes of the present journey are inter-cut with flashbacks to his days on the battlefield. On the road, the mourning man meets various people, including one wise woman with a horse, who help him with his journey of healing.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: A Place in the Field
Directors: Nikki Mejia
Release Date: November 10. 2023 (limited)
Running Time: 84 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriters: Bluesmon Del Vecchio, Don DiPetta, Khorri Ellis
Distribution Company: Lionsgate
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Nikki Fowler, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore
Other Movies Opening This Week
Edited by Jennifer Merin