The Station Agent (2003)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Thomas McCarthy

Writer (WGA):

Thomas McCarthy (written by)

Release Date:

5 December 2003 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Newfoundland New Jersey | Dwarf | Train Station | Hot Dog Vendor

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 22 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some drug content.

Runtime:

88 min | USA:89 min (Encore print) | Turkey:83 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-3 | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:7 | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

SenArt Films

Trivia:

Distribution rights acquired by Miramax for around $1.5 million.

Goofs:

Continuity: The level of beer in Fin's glass on his first trip to the bar.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

References "Fantasy Island" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Silver Electric

Best film of 2003

This is an amazing film -- it has humor, intelligence and emotion. With a minimum of dialog, it conveys a great deal of wisdom regarding the human condition.

Peter Dinklage excels as a train enthusiast who thinks a move to the small train depot he inherits may afford him the peace and quiet he craves. As a result of his dwarfism, he has been on the receiving end of too much cruelty, sometimes thoughtless but all too often intentional, so all he wants is to be left alone. Once ensconced in the depot, however, he meets a few people (most notably an artist played by Patricia Clarkson) who bring to his life all the complications involved in relationships. And that's what this film is all about: we are all fallible individuals, but ultimately we need each other.

High marks to Thomas McCarthy for directing and writing this treasure. The only thing I don't understand is why it was assigned an "R" rating.