Rails & Ties (2007)

A deadly collision between a train and car lead to an unlikely bond between the train engineer and a young boy who escapes the carnage.

Director:

Alison Eastwood

Writer:

Micky Levy

Stars:

Kevin Bacon, Marcia Gay Harden, Miles Heizer

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Bacon	...	Tom Stark
Marcia Gay Harden	...	Megan Stark
Miles Heizer	...	Davey Danner
Marin Hinkle	...	Renee
Eugene Byrd	...	Otis Higgs
Bonnie Root	...	Laura Danner
Steve Eastin	...	N.B. Garcia
Laura Cerón	...	Susan Garcia
Margo Martindale	...	Judy Neasy
Kathryn Joosten	...	Mrs. Brown
Steven M. Porter	...	Howie Pugh
Jim Cody Williams	...	Vince the Engineer
Kerri Randles	...	Rosanna
Stephen Peace	...	Bartender
Robert Harvey	...	Administrator #1

Storyline

Train fanatic Tom Stark's job enjoyment stops shielding him from grief over his wife Megan's now terminal cancer when Laura Danner commits suicide by planting her car on the railway just before Tom's train arrives. Tom's colleague Otis, who never got over a hobo doing the same on foot, resigns, Tom is suspended. It's even worse for Laura's fatherless son Davey, who loses his home too. He escapes from a monstrous foster-ma's home and tracks down Tom's home. Megan, who was about to leave without allowing him to get closer again during her last weeks, promises to stay if they take on Davey. Boy and childless couple soon grow on each-other, but a social worker is on Davey's trail.

---

Plot Keywords:

train | train engineer | car accident | husband wife relationship | train conductor | 

---

Taglines:

When life comes apart, love puts it back together.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements, an accident scene, brief nudity and momentary strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 April 2008 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

En las vías de la vida

Filming Locations:

Fillmore, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$11,032 (USA) (26 October 2007)

Gross:

$21,414 (USA) (2 November 2007)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Malpaso Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alison Eastwood (Clint Eastwood's daughter)'s directorial debut.

---

Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Episode dated 10 November 2007 (2007)

User Reviews

Made in the mould of today's "grey" and pessimist world and society

This is the directorial debut of Alison Eastwood. Daddy Clint must have taught her his cinema's tricks. That influence is seen, even though this was her first.

Although not a movie without its flaws, it is human, dramatic and real. It's solid on story, drama and actors's performances, particularly the lead actors: Marcia Gay Harden, Kevin Bacon and especially Miles Heizer. This boy is sensational! He takes the whole movie alone and makes the movie's best scenes, so realistic is his sorrow. I'm kinda shocked that his filmography is practically TV series and almost no full-length movies. How can that be with a boy this talented?? America doesn't know what it missed!!

Miles Heizer's character (Davey) is, like Kevin Bacon's character said, a strange boy because he is so mature for his age.