Review of The Station Agent (2003) by John E — 29 Jul 2011

The Station Agent is a story revolving around a person suffering from dwarfism and his repulsing nature towards a society who rejects him because of his differences. Attempting to find peace in a small town and living in an abandoned train station, he hopes to find solace from those who ridicule him. Instead he finds people who overlook his height and grows into a new life for himself. The acting was extremely well done and accented the script extremely well. The direction was very good and was able to get the most out of the actors in their roles. These combined aspects made it a very good film and something to be treasured.

The direction by Thomas McCarthy (film debut) was marvelous. He was able to get the most out of his cast who was for the most part unknown. He did a good job to pull out these emotions which allowed for the audience to understand the pain of life involving the characters on screen. This came across very well in his actors and it was easy to tell the amount of work put in by each actor. Of course they played to their strengths but they were still able to come through very well for their new director, who shows massive potential with such a solid film. He obviously had a trust within his selected cast and was able to bring out the most potential for the pleasure of the viewer, something that could translate into better future projects.

The script, also by Thomas McCarthy, was marvelous. Many scripts have looked at the aspect of human growth, but very few have taken on from this vantage point. It was a refreshing look at how someone survives the ridicule of being different in a judgmental society. This look was able to look past the typical drinking habit or drug habit and looked at the person within. The man's obsession with trains gives him something to live for and eventually he grows to live for others. This is a type of humanistic growth that is rarely seen on screen and makes for a wonderful surprise. The detail into his emotions is also a great asset to the screenplay and makes for a more in depth look at who he really is. In addition to this look, the script is also something that keeps a good and steady pace, keeping the viewer with the film as opposed to leaving and coming back which can happen in these sorts of films.

The acting was very good. Peter Dinklage (Just a Kiss) was positively outstanding. He created within himself a character that was both angry and shut off but was able to transition into a growth that allowed others into his life. He was able to explore the emotions that came along with all of the story's triumphs and sadness. This showed his great ability as an actor and the potential to break out of the type cast that is molded because of his height. A masterful job by a true professional. Patricia Clarkson (Dogville) who had the most emotionally demanding role in the film did a great job and fit the role very well. She pulled on every emotional string she had to put together a very good performance revolving a character that suffered the loss of a child. She does a great job giving herself to the role and was able to come across to the audience as a broken woman, even helping to boost the performance of Dinklage. Bobby Cannavale (The Guru) did a good job as the man who breaks into the life of Dinklage and brings him out of his shell. He seemed more typecast for the role, but still did a good job in his emotional parts, which might be credited to the others he shared the screen with, rubbing off on him. The other supporters were Michelle Williams (United States of Leland) and Raven Goodwin (Lovely and Amazing) who did well in their respective roles. The chemistry the cast had was amazing and it became clear that they all put their hearts and souls into the making of this project, giving wonderful performances.

The Station Agent is a great humanistic tale that follows a dwarf from misfortune to humanistic connection. A rarity, this film is one of the better independent films in circulation because of its freshness and looking at an old tale a new way. The acting was superb as was the direction but the script is what really made the film come to life. A great independent, the film shows how simple human nature can be for both the good and bad. A well rounded and film that should be treasured, this has the potential to help all the cast members and McCarthy to different heights in their careers. Simply put, a job well done by all.