The Station Agent
Dir: Tom McCarthy USA 2003 88 mins 15PG
Cast: Patricia CLARKSON, Peter DINKLAGE, Bobby CANNAVALE
Michelle WILLIAMS, Raven GOODWIN, Paul BENJAMIN
Finbar McBride wants to be left alone. But at four feet, five inches, blending
in with the crowd is an almost impossible task. Born with dwarfism, Fin has
responded to unsolicited attention by choosing a life of separation and spends
his time alone with his one passion trains. When a series of events leaves him
living in an out-of-service train depot in rural New Jersey, he is unwittingly
drawn into the lives of two other loners. The Station Agent seems to have been
written especially for Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, and Bobby Cannavale.
They are near perfection as the principal cast, squaring off in opposite corners
and each fighting, in his or her own way, the urge to connect. Their
performances only add to the accomplishment of director/screenwriter Tom
McCarthy, who has crafted a small film of rare beauty. Each moment in the film
is pure and accumulates organically to form a moving character study. Charming
and blessed with a sweet humanity, The Station Agent reveals ultimately that
even isolation is better when shared. - John Cooper, Sundance Film Festival
Programme
Winner - Feature Film Special Jury Prize / Marrakech International Film Festival
2003
Winner - Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award / Sundance 2003
Winner - Audience Award / Sundance 2003
Winner - Special jury prize (Patricia Clarkson) / Sundance 2003
Winner - Best Actress / Boston Society of Film Critics 2003
Winner - Best Original Screenplay / BAFTA Awards