Movie Reviews

2003 Sundance Film Festival
Movie Reviews

The Station Agent

Director and screenwriter Tom Mc Carthy has a very special movie on his hands starring Patricia Clarkson, Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Williams, Raven Goodwin and Paul Benjamin.

Peter Dinklage plays the Finbar, the station agent. He is a very bitter and sour character, who the girls like. His character is really into trains and all he wants is to be left alone.

Bobbie Cannavale plays Joe, the hot dog stand guy who is a very happy go lucky character who doesn't let Finbar's sour personality stop him from trying to be friends.

Patricia Clarkson plays the sad and lonely woman who lost her son and has moved away from her husband.

Set in New Jersey around a train depot, each character is living in their own isolation, yet all find each other and unusual friendships develop. We are treated to many laughs and a thought provoking story line of loneliness and being different.

My mother would enjoy this movie, but I found it to be a little slow.

The film was three and a half years in the making; from inception to Sundance and was shot in 20 days. They could not get permission to shoot on the train tracks so they shot without permission and got arrested once because of it. That story in itself makes this film worth seeing.

~Sheila, February 2003

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