The Station Agent Review
by Mark R. Leeper (markrleeper AT yahoo DOT com)November 13th, 2003
THE STATION AGENT
(a film review by Mark R. Leeper)
CAPSULE: Peter Dinklage plays a dwarf who comes to live in a small New Jersey town and in spite of efforts to the contrary becomes involved in the lives of two of the residents. There is much in this film that is
reminiscent of THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER. Rating: 7 (0 to 10), +2 (-4 to +4)
Finbar McBride (played by Peter Dinklage of LIVING IN OBLIVION) is a dwarf who works at a hobby shop. He is tired of people coming into the shop look at the miniature Fin like they look at the miniature trains. Fin's stature has led him to live by himself and to avoid people since so many are rude and insensitive to him. He works with storeowner Henry (Paul Benjamin). It is not a life style Fin likes much, but it seems to be the best available to him. Then Henry keels over and dies in the store. Fin is left without a job. But Henry has left a bequest to Fin in his will. Fin is to inherit an abandoned train station in Newfoundland, New Jersey. (The film never comments on how odd it is that Henry would own such a building. Perhaps it is connected with the mania that both Henry and Fin shared for railroads and trains.) Fin decides to move into the station where he can pursue that one great interest in life, his fascination with trains. There perhaps he can escape the irritating scrutiny of the curious.
Joe Oramas (Bobby Cannavale) runs a snack truck near the Newfoundland abandoned train station and is fascinated by its new owner, this solitary dwarf who rudely rebuffs him when he tries to make friends or even to start a conversation. Joe takes on the befriending of Fin as if it were a challenge. He wants to pull this man out of his shell and give him more of a life. Olivia Harris (Patricia Clarkson) also is fascinated by the dwarf. She is a terrible driver who twice in one day nearly drives into Fin. She also wants to befriend the new resident of the town, though Fin wants nothing to do with these two people or anybody else. All he wants is to be left alone to indulge his passion for trains. But these two strangers seem determined to insinuate themselves into his life. Eventually Fin relents and Fin gets involved in their lives. Each has his problems. Joe has to care for his ailing Cuban immigrant father. Olivia has recently lost a son she doted upon. The three make a triple, caring for each other.
Fin also reluctantly attracts the attention of Cleo (Raven Goodwin), a local child Fin's size. Cleo is confused by Fin's stature, not even knowing what a dwarf is. This is a film about stigma and about friendship.
THE STATION AGENT is a simple story. At times it reminds one of THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER. But few films have so effectively shown the isolation of those people who get not enough attention of the right kind and too much attention that is either unpleasantly curious or simply patronizing. Some people treat Fin as an object. One woman takes his picture without permission as if he were a carved stone. As pat as it sounds, this is not so much a movie about the problems of a dwarf as about the function of friendship. We have a warp portrait of three people who develop a real affinity for each other. The film's best moments are not Patricia Clarkson almost slapstick driving problems but in the warm moments when the three friends can simply talk to each other. Fin becomes less the focus of the film but one piece of a friendship that nourishes each. The film is written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, who is usually an actor and who successfully resisted the temptation to put himself in his own movie.
This is a simple, short (88 minutes), and low-budget ($400,000) film. But it is warm and at the same time real. This is a film the viewer can settle into and be comfortable. I rate it a 7 on the 0 to 10 scale and a +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
[email protected]
Copyright 2003 Mark R. Leeper
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.
