The Station Agent

Director: Tom McCarthy

Cast: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale and Michelle Williams

Release: Nationally on February 5, 2004

Rated: M

Small film, small hero, big pleasures

Actors turning directors is nothing very new, but when a relatively obscure actor like Tom McCarthy (his biggest role to date has been as a doctor in Meet the Parents) makes a film like The Station Agent, people sit up and take notice.

This is one of those off-kilter little dramas known for being unearthed at festivals like Sundance; indeed, The Station Agent was discovered there in 2003. McCarthy (who also wrote the screenplay) didn’t have a big budget for this film, but he had the smarts to know that story and character are the foundation of any successful film. With The Station Agent, he delivers memorable characters in a wryly clever story about loss and connection that resonates long after the lights come up – so much so, his script has been nominated for a BAFTA award.

McCarthy’s central character is Fin (Peter Dinklage). Fin happens to be a dwarf; but this isn’t like a David Lynch film in which dwarves represent some kind of impending doom. He’s a regular guy for the most part; but his disability makes him something of a loner. He works in a train hobby store in Hoboken, New Jersey, but when his only friend, the store owner Henry (Paul Benjamin) dies, he’s left entirely alone. He’s then informed that Henry has left him a block of land in rural New Jersey, near the town of Newfoundland. There happens to be a disused railway station on the land, and Fin moves in.

His desire for solitude however is shattered by the arrival of Joe, a Cuban-American coffee vendor who parks his van outside the station. The garrulous Joe however proves to be just as lonely as Fin; albeit for very different reasons. One of Joe’s regular customers is Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), with whom Fin has a run-in (literally). Olivia is however dealing with her own problems. These three damaged people form the nucleus of McCarthy’s story.

This is a film that unravels fairly slowly. It’s about people, not explosions or crime or millions of dollars. That may irritate some viewers, but I found it settled into a rhythm, much like a train rattling down the tracks. McCarthy also makes you think about the film; he doesn’t lay everything out on a platter for easy consumption.

It’s also very funny, especially in the first half. Some of the exchanges, particularly between Fin and Joe, are brilliant. In the second half, things take a darker turn, but in the end, few will leave the cinema without a smile on their face.

Peter Dinklage (recently seen in Elf) is excellent as the taciturn Fin. Part of the credit for his performance though has to go to McCarthy, whose script and direction allow Fin to be a real person; not a stereotype. Still, none of that would have worked without Dinklage’s brave, sanguine acting. Patricia Clarkson has won plenty of praise (and several critics’ awards) for her role in the film; and it’s fully deserved. As the reserved Olivia, she allows a lot to go on behind her actions, creating a real sense of intrigue about the character. Bobby Cannavale steals scenes from both Dinklage and Clarkson as the effusive Joe; while former teen star Michelle Williams (Dawson’s Creek) is excellent in a small part.

The Station Agent is a wonderful surprise packet at a time of year normally dominated by heavy Oscar contenders. Funny, sharp and touching, this is a real treat for those looking for something a little different and edgier.

David Edwards

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