The Station Agent August 10, 2006
Posted by clydefro in : Modern Films, 2000s , trackback
How can a movie about a loner dwarf who inherits a small train depot in rural New Jersey be so charming? I’m not really sure, but watching The Station Agent
As the film starts, the main character, Fin, is working in a small store that sells and repairs toy trains. His friend Henry owns the store and seems to be a train enthusiast as well until he drops dead on the shop’s floor. Henry’s will provides that the shop be sold and gives Fin a small piece of property with an abandoned train depot on it. The unused train station is located in a small, sparsely populated town thirty miles westward. Displaced from his home beneath the train store and out of a job, Fin stoically relocates to the depot. Soon after arriving, he meets Joe, who’s been running his ailing father’s coffee/hot dog truck, and Olivia, who’s recently separated from her husband following the death of their young son. Fin also develops unlikely friendships with a young librarian (played by Michelle Williams) and Cleo, a little girl with a developing interest in trains.
A large part of what makes The Station Agent work so well is its three main actors. Peter Dinklage is perfect as Fin, somehow managing to be oddly charismatic while also purposefully detached and bitter. For much of the movie, Dinklage adeptly conveys his character’s emotions through looks and movements since Fin doesn’t say much and what he does say is usually short responses to others’ questions. Instead, he must quietly deal with the looks and stares from others who are not used to seeing a man 4 feet 5 inches tall. Obviously bitter from a lifetime of this, Fin has trouble dealing with others and prefers to keep to himself. His frustration culminates in a drunken leap atop the bar at a local drinking establishment, daring the onlookers to stare. Dinklage is so impressive here that the film critic Roger Ebert commented, probably only half-jokingly, that there’s “no good reason why (he) couldn’t play Braveheart.”
Despite his surly manner, Fin manages to make several friends in his new residence and, with their help, he eventually lets his guard down. Bobby Cannavale provides great comedic moments as Joe, who sets up his coffee truck near Fin’s depot each morning and persistently tries to befriend him. Olivia, played by the dependable Patricia Clarkson, is one of Joe’s regular customers and she also helps bring Fin out of his shell. Clarkson is quite good in this role and a lesser actress probably would have been a detriment to the movie since Olivia is a pivotal character who’s dealing with some of the same emotions as Fin, albeit for different reasons. She was nominated for an Academy Award in 2003 for a lesser film, Pieces of April, but she was at least equally good here and I’d like to think that voters saw the nomination as a reward for both performances. Speaking of awards, the Screen Actors Guild did nominate the ensemble cast, as well as singling out Dinklage and Clarkson in lead categories, in its annual honors while McCarthy won in the original screenplay category at the British Academy Awards.
The misanthrope in me somewhat envies Fin after he moves to the train depot. He has no neighbors, no electricity and no commitments. But then I realize that Fin isn’t happy with this existence. When Joe and Olivia push themselves into his life, he sees the good qualities of others and becomes happier as a result. Despite being disappointed by both, Fin bounces back and sees the value in these friendships. By the end of the movie, when Fin uncharacteristically agrees to talk to Cleo’s class about trains, we see that he has finally begun to open up and trust other people. In most of these situations, trains play an important role, whether it’s the hilarious train chasing sequence or the library book Fin tries to check out. They serve as a gateway to his friendships and provide a way for others to get to know him.
Ultimately, The Station Agent succeeds as a warm, inviting film that you can watch again and again. It’s very funny at times and, if forced, would probably be labeled a comedy. However, it’s really not the kind of movie you watch if you’re just after a few laughs. It’s much more of a character study where the characters are well-developed, yet leave you wanting more when the movie ends. In fact, while many contemporary movies seem guilty of excess and bloated running times, The Station Agent might have benefited from a few additional minutes. Then again, there’s something to be said about leaving the audience wanting more and giving them the freedom to imagine the characters’ fates on their own.
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