The Station Agent Review

by David N. Butterworth (dnb AT dca DOT net)
February 2nd, 2004
THE STATION AGENT
A film review by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 2004 David N. Butterworth

**** (out of ****)

    He's handsome, he's got a great voice and, at merely four feet five inches
tall, he towers over many of his Hollywood counterparts in terms of pure acting
talent. He's Peter Dinklage and his is a remarkable performance in a truly remarkable film, Tom McCarthy's "The Station Agent." But this warm, wonderful movie, McCarthy's first, doesn't begin and end with Dinklage's performance. No, this is a film that has more going for it than you might possibly imagine,
from the superb supporting players Bobby Cannavale ("The Bone Collector") and Patricia Clarkson ("Pieces of April"), to the wit and poignancy of the writing (also by actor-turned-director McCarthy; he was Dr. Bob Banks in "Meet the Parents"),
to the delicately observed direction--its pace, depth, and overall humanity work wonders. Fin McBride (Dinklage), a dwarf with an unchecked passion for trains, inherits an abandoned railway depot in rural New Jersey when his best friend dies. Inured (at least on the outside; you can see it still hurts within)
from the ignorant who nudge elbows when he passes, or quip about characters from "Snow White" or "Fantasy Island" ("da plane, da plane"), or even take an unauthorized snapshot, Fin looks forward to a less invasive existence to focus on his private pastime. But this man of few words is shell shocked to discover
that his Newfoundland neighbors are an overly friendly Cuban-American who runs his father's lunch truck (Cannavale, who's simply hilarious) and a melancholy artist with poor driving skills (indie darling Clarkson) mourning the death of her son. In time, these three will form an unlikely friendship. For a first
time writer director McCarthy shows an uncanny maturity. The depth of his screenplay,
one that "walks the right of way," is amazing. In addition to the characters of Fin, Joe (Cannavale), and Olivia (Clarkson) there are some beautifully drawn
supporting roles, including the women who sell the town's groceries, check out its books, or tend its bar. And then there's Cleo ("Lovely & Amazing"'s Raven Goodwin), a young girl whose natural curiosity is about the only thing to break
down Fin's natural defenses. Nothing is over done; people act like real people;
trains--and the appropriate use of silence--are relegated to the background. And what a simply perfect closing line! Like its diminutive lead, "The Station
Agent" is a little film but a great one. And it has a big, big heart.

--
David N. Butterworth
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