RUN THE WILD FIELDS

REVIEWED BY ANNA T.

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Because of: thematic elements

Rated:

Her husband, her daughter’s father, had been missing in action for three years. They isolated themselves from the town and the people. Continually hoping and praying Daddy would come home, ten year old Opal keeps track of all the young men in battle on the dining room wall map. Sadly, she said a prayer for those found dead, and stuck a yellow pin on the map for where they died. Ruby staunchly refuses the offers of her neighbor to buy her land that has sat idle and overgrown since he left. Their peaceful, normal life is interrupted and changed forever by the arrival of a stranger. Just how many changes will he bring to their hearts and lives?

One fine day, Opal Miller was running carefree through the woods, stopping now and then to touch a flower, or look at a bug. She happens upon a man, seemingly dead lying in a ditch near the road, blood staining his ripped pant leg. A faint cry of “little girl” escapes his lips before Opal (Pug, the Bug, her nickname) runs screaming for her Mama. After Ruby is assured the “dead” man is not another one of Opal’s tall tales, she follows her daughter to where he was lying in the grass. Directing Opal to run and ring for the doctor, Ruby proceeds to helping him up and they slowly make their way back to the house. The kindly doctor examines the serious dog bite on the man’s leg and pronounces him unfit to be moved. Ruby offers to let him stay in Opal’s bedroom. He sleeps unaware of Opal’s curious eyes and quick thinking mind that immediately labels him “mysterious.”

By morning, the man feels well enough to walk and comes down at breakfast, his pack ready and hat on. Ruby meddles at the kitchen faucet, the water flying every which way as she tries to use the wrench to tighten it. She turns startled, and leaves the fussy sink. Ruby insists that he eat something, and he obliges her, while Opal peppers him with questions and tidbits of their life. Ruby coaxes her unwilling daughter to the garden, while he eats his breakfast. A while later, Opal finds him sitting on the porch. More questions pour from her, and she finds out his name. Tom Walker, and no he’s not a rummy. Ruby casts a disapproving eye at her daughter’s curiosity, but hands a bag of food, some clothes, and her husband’s jacket to Tom. He accepts them gratefully and offers to help with the crops, or around the house. Ruby shakes her head. No she can’t use the help right now. Tom leaves, the pack upon his back heavier than before.

Ruby goes into the house, to clear the table and wash the dishes. Surprise lights her face, when she sees all the dishes washed and set to dry neatly. Her hand cautiously turns on the faucet, but a steady stream of water pours out this time. A smile touches her lips as she turns and watches him far up the road walking. Later that day, Ruby takes Opal to town for supplies. As they are putting the groceries into the pick up truck, Opal sees Tom being taken into the police station. Ruby tells Opal to stay, but she refuses. The two walk into the station, and see the Sheriff taking apart Tom’s bag, a little red box in his hand. The Sheriff found Tom jumping a train, and then he found Ruby’s husband’s things in his pack. 

Believing that Tom stole them, he took him in. Ruby defends him, and says she gave those things to Tom. The sheriff is surprised, but brings up the case of train jumping, and him being without a job. Ruby declares he does have a job. Tom looks at her strangely, but keeps silent. The Sheriff and Ruby talk until she convinces him to let Tom come home with her. She delegates him to sleep in the empty barn, and he will start mending fences first thing in the morning. Ruby doesn’t know yet, that he is more than a hired hand, that there are secrets beneath the surface no one has glimpsed, and a heart of gold under the guise of a wanderer that everyone scoffs and treats indifferently, that he will change her and Opal’s life forever....

A friend of mine lent this film to me, saying she loved it, and now I do. It shows a side of war often not shown, of the women waiting for their husbands to come home, of mothers and fathers hoping their son will arrive home safe and not in a body bag, of hope and love. The spiritual elements in this film are beautiful. Ruby encourages her daughter to pray. They pray over their meals. Ruby firmly says that Tom will go to church with them if he’s going to stay on her farm. A pastor is shown praying and saying The Lord’s Prayer during a time of sadness. The romance is so sweetly sad. There is great tension and chemistry…as Ruby and Tom grow to be friends and find more than friendship in their hearts for each other. One of my favorite scenes is when they dance together. Tom’s manners, and mysteriousness just add to his charm. All of the actors pull off their parts very well, utterly convincing you that they are living through the hell of war, yet tasting the sweetness of life together.

The possibly offensive content is not a great deal. There are four minor profanities. Men are punched, pushed around roughly, and children have a couple scuffles. A deer is shown shot in the eye, and characters are thought to have been killed. A slightly bloody leg is shown. Some of the characters smoke cigarettes. Characters lose family members to war, and there are some tense moments with the telegraph car, when it comes to deliver the word of another man’s death. A fire causes panic and two children come very close to disaster. People think Tom is a coward and call him that and other names to his face, until they find out otherwise the fruits of his character. 

The ending is bittersweet. Events happy and sad take place that again change all three lives. If you like the era of WW2, a sweet romance and the chance to shed some tears, you’d like this film.

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