Review of The Station Agent (2003) by Nathan M — 20 Jul 2014

This is a great story about a loner who is reluctant to ever let anyone in. Benefiting from an amazing performance from Peter Dinklage and a perfect supporting cast, Tom McCarthy's film is full of life. McCarthy is a great storyteller, especially when it comes to exploring small towns where the characters who inhabit them feel real and at the same time fit the molds they need to. Every character in a McCarthy film feels like someone you know, but no one you've ever met. Every characters is just one turn off, so they feel like they could be real people, but they'd be the most interesting people you'd meet.

McCarthy is amazing and the film's value is split between him and this cast. Every performer is firing on all cylinders. They all are sympathetic and interesting. They are able to convey so much about who they are through simple interactions. It's a joy to watch them have conversations, because it feels like you're exploring the beauty of the ordinary moments in life. This is what McCarthy does so well.

He finds the joy in the mundane of life. The film isn't a big spectacle, there aren't crazy things that happen to the characters, the characters are just real people. They interact with each other like real people (maybe a heightened version of real people, but still real people). It's a film that takes finding beauty and joy in simplicity seriously.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, you really should. It's a great story about small towns and the people that inhabit them, but ultimately it's a story about being able to find the joy in every moment. If you let him, McCarthy will help you to find joy in these small moments in life as well.