The Station Agent Review
by Bob Bloom (bobbloom AT iquest DOT net)November 24th, 2003
THE STATION AGENT (2003) 4 stars out of 4. Starring Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Williams, Ravin Goodwin, Paul Benjamin and Richard Kind. Music by Stephen Trask. Written and directed by Tom McCarthy. Rated R. Running time: 88 minutes.
Not all movies must focus on larger-than-life, life-or-death issues or struggles.
Sometimes the ordinary, the every day act of living, of making a connection can speak volumes about the human condition.
The Station Agent focuses on such a story.
Finbar McBride is a loner, a man living on the outside. His only passion is trains.
But when Fin inherits a broken down train station in rural New Jersey and takes up residence in it, he makes connections with other people and slowly develops friendships.
Fin (Peter Dinklage) is a dwarf, an intelligent man who stoically deals with the jibes and insults of thoughtless people who stare, pry or ridicule simply because he is different.
He sees the move to New Jersey as a chance to escape, to luxuriate in the solitude he desires.
Alas, that is not to be because Fin's life becomes intertwined with those of two others: Joe (Bobby Cannavale), a motor-mouthed food vendor always starving for conversation, and Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), a painter mourning a personal loss.
Eventually, Fin befriends these two other outsiders and becomes an integral part of their lives.
Fin even enters into a flirtation with a young librarian (Michelle Williams).
The film, marking the writing and directing debut of Tom McCarthy, consists of a series of vignettes centered around Fin and his growing relationships.
No one overriding story or crisis dominates. The movie just looks at a period in one man's life than quietly ends.
McCarthy uses a lot of silences, many shots of Fin either walking along train tracks or sitting watching trains rumble by. Rather than slow the story, these moments serve as punctuation points, allowing us to see inside Fin and get an idea of what he is feeling.
Dinklage gives a performance that should get Oscar consideration. He is a commanding presence, holding the audience with a look or a gesture.
Cannavale transforms an obnoxious individual into someone who, despite not knowing when to shut up, is a decent, compassionate man.
Clarkson brings a touching vulnerability and heartbreak to her Olivia, yet underneath it all you are confident in her survival.
The Station Agent does not overwhelm you. Rather it envelops you like a warm embrace from a loving relative or close friend. So spend 88 minutes to learn and listen to some people it will be your privilege to meet.
Bob Bloom is the film critic at the Journal and Courier in Lafayette, IN. He can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or at [email protected]. Other reviews by Bloom can be found at www.jconline.com by clicking on movies.
Bloom's reviews also appear on the Web at the Rottentomatoes Web site, www.rottentomatoes.com and at the Internet Movie Database:
http://www.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Bob+Bloom
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