The Station Agent (2003)

When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.

Director:

Thomas McCarthy

Writer:

Thomas McCarthy

Stars:

Peter Dinklage, Paul Benjamin, Bobby Cannavale

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 25 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Dinklage	...	Finbar McBride
Paul Benjamin	...	Henry Styles
Jase Blankfort	...	Store Customer
Paula Garcés	...	Cashier (as Paula Garces)
Josh Pais	...	Carl
Richard Kind	...	Louis Tiboni
Bobby Cannavale	...	Joe Oramas
Patricia Clarkson	...	Olivia Harris
Lynn Cohen	...	Patty at the Good to Go
Raven Goodwin	...	Cleo
Marla Sucharetza	...	Janice
Michelle Williams	...	Emily
Jayce Bartok	...	Chris
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Danny (as Joe Lotruglio)
John Slattery	...	David

Storyline

When his only friend and co-worker dies, a young man born with dwarfism moves to an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey. Though he tried to maintain a life of solitude, he is soon entangled with an artist who is struggling with a personal tragedy and an overly friendly Cuban hot-dog vendor.

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Plot Keywords:

train | depot | dwarf | newfoundland new jersey | librarian | 

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Taglines:

Loneliness is much better when you have got someone to share it with (norway DVD release).

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some drug content

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

5 December 2003 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

Station Agent

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£97,044 (UK) (26 March 2004)

Gross:

£266,392 (UK) (2 April 2004)

Company Credits

Production Co:

SenArt Films, Next Wednesday Productions, Station Agent, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Distribution rights acquired by Miramax for around $1.5 million.

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Goofs

Following the scene where Olivia returns home from the hospital, there is a brief shot of Fin and Olivia watching the sunset from her dock. This shot is in fact taken from an earlier scene where Fin and Olivia had a conversation on the dock as they are wearing the same clothing.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Henry Styles: Morning, professor.
Finbar McBride: Good morning.

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.9 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Subclassic"
(2002)
Written by Danielle Howle and John Furr
Performed by Danielle Howle and The Tantrums
Courtesy of Danielle Howle
By Arrangement with Crusty Old Timer, Inc.

User Reviews

Beautiful character studies, unhurried but continuously captivating

A story about a man with dwarfism who's hobby is trainspotting doesn't sound like an inspiring tale, but the Station Agent is a remarkable achievement in making it just that. Relocating to a fairly remote area where he has inherited some property, the main character becomes very popular - not because of his cute dwarfism, but because he exhibits an inner strength that enables people to eventually see past his physical deformity. Superb acting by all the cast, and wonderful contrasts between their inner lives and the outer personas they use to deal with the everyday superficialities of the world (including meeting new people). The film is beautiful, uplifting, realistic, without ever becoming cheesy or moralising. A joy to behold.