Loyalties, Loss and Longing Fill Showtime’s ‘Wild Fields’

For the wife and young daughter of a missing-in-action World War II soldier, it’s not “if” he will return, it’s “when.” Time passes, though, and hope becomes habit, until the unsettling arrival of a taciturn young drifter. What happens to all three is told by the daughter, looking back to her childhood, in “Run the Wild Fields,” a Showtime family movie premiere.

Written by Rodney Vaccaro, who adapted it from his play, “Home of the Brave,” this tale of a woman learning to reembrace life, as seen through the eyes of her 10-year-old daughter, Pug (Alexa Vega), doesn’t deliver the depth it promises, but it does dip below the surface.

That’s primarily because of Joanne Whalley’s dignity as enduring wife Ruby, and to many quietly observed moments, including a thoughtful ending that rises above predictability.

In a small rural town, Ruby helps injured drifter Tom (Sean Patrick Flanery), then takes him on as hired hand for the family farm. Both Pug and Ruby find themselves drawn to handsome Tom--who clearly has his own ghosts to lay to rest--and they struggle with confused loyalties, loss and longing.

In the small, patriotic rural town, Tom is soon rumored to be a draft dodger and becomes a target for bullies; Pug defends him with her fists; and hard-nosed neighbor Silas (Cotter Smith), who aches to be Ruby’s suitor, suffers escalating jealousy.

Under Paul A. Kaufman’s direction, the film’s strength is most often found in Whalley and Flanery’s stillnesses and expressive faces. (Flanery’s only false note is his unaccountably Marlon Brando-ish soliloquy as Tom reveals his past.)

Some moments ring deeply true: the way eyes follow the wartime telegraph truck’s approach with frozen dread; Pug’s guilty yearning for Tom to take her father’s place; Ruby’s try at taking an irrevocable step away from her missing husband; and an understated encounter that wouldn’t be fair to give away. Not many surprises, but no cheap shots, either.

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* “Run the Wild Fields” can be seen at 8 p.m. Sunday on Showtime and repeats various times through the month. The network has rated it TV-PG (may be unsuitable for young children).