The Station Agent Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)September 15th, 2003
"The Station Agent"
Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) lived a pleasant existence working in the hobby shop with his friend and boss, Henry (Paul Benjamin), repairing toy trains and enjoying the exploits of his train chasing friends. One day, Henry announces "Lunch!" walks out of the room and drops dead. The business is sold, leaving Fin without a job, but he learns that he has inherited an old train station in Newfoundland NJ from Henry. He soon finds out that being a dwarf in small town America is a lot different than in the big city in "The Station Agent."
Fin moves into the once bustling station house where he also owns a 1/2 acre of land, a freight car and a caboose. He learns, the next morning, that he has a neighbor, too. Joe Oramas (Bobby Cannavale) operates the hot dog wagon owned by his ill father and, for reasons unknown, parks his tiny business alongside the empty station. Fin is bewildered by Joe's apparent ignorance over his diminutive stature, keeps his gregarious neighbor at arm's length but can't help bringing the lovable naif into his life.
Fin is introduce to another of the town's folk when, as he walks home carrying his groceries, he is almost run over by Olivia Harris (Patricia Clarkson). He politely refuses her offer of a ride but, within hours, she almost runs him down again. Is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship or should Finbar be in fear of his life?
Writer/director Tom McCarthy puts together a warm and funny story about broken people who, with each other's help, are made whole. Fin has a long-pent up anger over being dealt a crappy hand in life. Being a dwarf is not the easiest thing in the world. At best, you are the subject of amusement to others, the "normal" people. At worst, you are treated with derision and as a freak. When he meets Olivia, he finds a person who has suffered far more than he. Two years before, Olivia lost her young son in an accident on the monkey bars. She has suffered, alone, in her grief, after she broke with her husband over her despair. The artist has resisted his overtures and has found solace in the bottle.
Joe is happy go lucky lug of a guy who sees the good in everyone, even as Fin tries to deflect his friendly intentions. With his daily cups of special coffee and his willingness to accept Fin's taciturn ways, Joe is content to sit with his new friend and ask him about his life and his hobby - trains. Fin tells Joe about the train chasers who run along their favorite railroad line and capture the chase on video. When Joe asks why Fin isn't a chaser, the little man tells him he does not have a camera. Soon after, Joe makes a gift of a video cam and the two head off down the road to capture their own favorite chases on tape.
Joe had warned Fin that Olivia is a flake but a bond develops between the pair of emotionally scarred people. Joe, too, realizes that his friends are troubled and does his best to help them. The trio becomes fast friends and true but scribe McCarthy does not make it cut-and-dried and introduces drama into the whimsy. The bumpy relationships weather the storm of personal troubles and, in the end, you get the hopeful ending that you expect and want. And, there is nothing cliched about it.
Peter Dinklage, as Finbar, may be small in stature but he gives a full sized performance as a man of few words who has built up emotional barriers throughout his life being a dwarf. Fin, though, is an intelligent man and is capable of putting his own problems aside and show compassion for the suffering of others, including a pretty young librarian, Emily (Michelle Williams). Dinklage doesn't use a lot of words but develops a full-fleshed character, anyway. Patricia Clarkson, once again, proves herself to be an A-list actress. She was terrific in "Far From Heaven," last year, and has a one-two combination "Pieces of April" and, now, "The Station Agent." When Olivia goes over the edge with her unrelenting grief, she rips your heart out and makes you feel her despair. Bobby Cannavale steals the show every time his mug is on camera and the actor gives a natural warmth to his funny performance as Joe, a likable guy with an unrelenting upbeat attitude.
Tom McCarthy marshals his technical staff well as they capture small town life, the life of a train aficionado and the making of a trio of beautiful friendships. It is a pleasure to see a quirky idea turned into a full-bodied, well-crafted, well-acted little film that uses its oddball nature to wonderful affect. I give it a B+.
For more Reeling reviews visit www.reelingreviews.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
More on 'The Station Agent'...
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
