The Station Agent

Last night, Shawn and I watched a wonderful little film called The Station Agent. We’re not sure which of us put it on Netflix queue as neither of us had heard of it before it arrived at our house. But we watched it and enjoyed it.

It will not win any awards. It will not inspire a slew of similar films. But it’s the kind of quiet, character-based, study that I enjoy as a writer and an avid follower of indie films.

The story is about Fin, a dwarf with an obsession with trains. After his friend and employer passes away, he leaves Fin an old house, actually an old train depot, in Newfoundland, New Jersey. Fin walks his way to his new home in search of solitude. But a motley crew of colorful neighbors make that impossible.

Watching the relationships develop with a reluctant Fin is the real joy of the film. Each character interacts with him in a different way and although he’s a tough character to like, the viewer ends up being a willing passenger in a quiet journey of emotion.

The actors really bring these characters to life. Especially Bobby Carnnvale as Joe. I would love to see another film with all these same actors cast in a different setting playing different roles. They had such incredible chemistry, it elevated what could have been a mediocre film to a good film.