The Station Agent - A review
November 27th 2006 00:56
When I was first thinking of a theme for my blog, The Station Agent was one of the film that inspired me. This film had a profound effect on me and is a gem.
Thomas McCarthy's The Station Agent is a joyous and wondrous tale of a trio of fascinating characters whose lives intersect at an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey.
Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) loves trains, but doesn’t really like people. Most of them treat him as little better than a circus freak. When he inherits the station from a business partner, he moves there, hoping to find a place where he will finally be free from all the prying eyes, pointing fingers and knowing smiles he's been subjected to all his life. He’s an intense and serious young man, forced to be the centre of attention wherever he goes although he is painfully introverted. As a result he constructs barriers in an effort to keep people out of his life, hoping that, by doing so; he will avoid getting hurt any further. All he wants is to be wants is to be left alone with his train timetable, his pocket watch and to go for long walks on the disused railway tracks. So when his only friend dies and leaves him an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey he moves there – seeking silence and railway inspiration. However, Fin finds that, even in isolation, it's not always easy to be alone.
His journey begins when exuberant Cuban hot dog vendor Joe (Bobby Cannavale) whose truck is parked next to Fins’ train station, is determined to become best friends with him, despite Fin’s repeated disinterest in him and his life. Yet, Joe is so openhearted and good-natured that even Fin, though desperately craving privacy and silence, hasn't the heart to dampen the young man's desire for companionship and friendship. Thus, their friendship begins. Meanwhile the glamorous Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) – a preoccupied artist running from a bad marriage – almost runs him over twice in her four wheel drive. Olivia is a struggling artist who lost her young son two years earlier in a freak accident. Grief-stricken and trying to put the pieces of her life back together, Olivia experiences major mood swings that make it hard for others to get close to her, no matter how hard they try.
Despite Fin’s near-misanthropic attitude to people, the three eventually create a real friendship. This is so affecting because it’s all contrasted with how the world sees Fin as being different, as a ‘little person’. The Station Agent is a masterpiece of fine acting, with Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale delivering ideal performances. As the reticent dwarf, Dinklage is particularly brilliant at creating a character out of little more than body language and facial expressions. This film provides definitive proof that some of the greatest acting and character development can be accomplished with a bare minimum of dialogue.
The Station Agent is an affecting portrait of loneliness, but without Hollywood pity. It is a beautiful, inspiring insight into human nature and relationships.
Thomas McCarthy's The Station Agent is a joyous and wondrous tale of a trio of fascinating characters whose lives intersect at an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey.
Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) loves trains, but doesn’t really like people. Most of them treat him as little better than a circus freak. When he inherits the station from a business partner, he moves there, hoping to find a place where he will finally be free from all the prying eyes, pointing fingers and knowing smiles he's been subjected to all his life. He’s an intense and serious young man, forced to be the centre of attention wherever he goes although he is painfully introverted. As a result he constructs barriers in an effort to keep people out of his life, hoping that, by doing so; he will avoid getting hurt any further. All he wants is to be wants is to be left alone with his train timetable, his pocket watch and to go for long walks on the disused railway tracks. So when his only friend dies and leaves him an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey he moves there – seeking silence and railway inspiration. However, Fin finds that, even in isolation, it's not always easy to be alone.
His journey begins when exuberant Cuban hot dog vendor Joe (Bobby Cannavale) whose truck is parked next to Fins’ train station, is determined to become best friends with him, despite Fin’s repeated disinterest in him and his life. Yet, Joe is so openhearted and good-natured that even Fin, though desperately craving privacy and silence, hasn't the heart to dampen the young man's desire for companionship and friendship. Thus, their friendship begins. Meanwhile the glamorous Olivia (Patricia Clarkson) – a preoccupied artist running from a bad marriage – almost runs him over twice in her four wheel drive. Olivia is a struggling artist who lost her young son two years earlier in a freak accident. Grief-stricken and trying to put the pieces of her life back together, Olivia experiences major mood swings that make it hard for others to get close to her, no matter how hard they try.
Despite Fin’s near-misanthropic attitude to people, the three eventually create a real friendship. This is so affecting because it’s all contrasted with how the world sees Fin as being different, as a ‘little person’. The Station Agent is a masterpiece of fine acting, with Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson and Bobby Cannavale delivering ideal performances. As the reticent dwarf, Dinklage is particularly brilliant at creating a character out of little more than body language and facial expressions. This film provides definitive proof that some of the greatest acting and character development can be accomplished with a bare minimum of dialogue.
The Station Agent is an affecting portrait of loneliness, but without Hollywood pity. It is a beautiful, inspiring insight into human nature and relationships.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
The relationships and characters are so rich that you feel you have spent time with them in real life. Tremendous performances and a poignant script.
Check it out.
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
Thanks as usual for your comments. Yes, I agree i also felt as though I was there with them in their lives, they were so vivid and read. An outstanding film that doesn't lose anything after several viewings, in fact, to me it reinforces the uniqueness and realness of people.