With theaters still not operating, for the most part, many of us
are looking to streaming services to watch movies, new and not so new. With
this category on this blog, I will explore the films I believe are the absolute
best of the 21st Century so far. Be sure to check them out on whichever streaming service you subscribe to.
The Station Agent
Director: Tom McCarthy
Stars: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby
Cannavale, Paul Benjamin, Michelle Williams
Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a little person who
leads a rather solitary existence. He has shut himself off from the rest of the
world seemingly because he is constantly subject to ridicule, subtle and overt,
because of his height. He appears to live in a rather small town and works at a
hobby store devoted to model trains. He also belongs to a group that loves to
watch actual vintage trains.
Despite hosting the meetings of his fellow train
watchers, Fin doesn’t seem to be particularly close to any of them. The only
person he seems to have any kind of rapport with is the hobby store’s owner,
Henry (Paul Benjamin).
When Henry dies suddenly, Fin’s life is upended.
The store has been sold and the inventory liquidated, as he learns from Henry’s
attorney. We sense this is rather traumatic for Fin because he could rely on
safely tucking himself away in a back room of the store and work, day in and
day out. When someone is the subject of intense scrutiny, perceived or not,
being able to retreat somewhere, for the sake of peace, is an essential coping
mechanism. And in that back room of the store, Fin felt safe from the outside
world.
The bright side is that Henry had willed a piece of
property to Fin in the middle of nowhere, New Jersey. The property contains an
old train depot. Suddenly, with just a subtle look on Fin’s face, when he
learns of this news, we sense that this turn of events may not be so bad.
As he sets up residence in the depot, Fin meets two
people right away. First is Joe (Bobby Cannavale), who operates a food truck
just outside Fin’s depot. Joe is overly chatty with the reticent Fin. The two
are stark contrasts. Joe seems lonely and wants to find common ground with
someone. Fin doesn’t seem to be looking for friends. He likes his solitude but
doesn’t get overly rude in conveying what he wants.
Then there is Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), a local
artist who seems to be an utter train wreck. A bundle of nerves and an inveterate
klutz, Olivia can’t seem to do much right. She almost runs Fin down with her
car twice in the same day as he walks to and from the store.
What director Tom McCarthy conveys about all of
these characters immediately is that they are hurting in some way. The essence
of this film is loneliness. And that is something most of us can empathize with
currently.
The reasons for each character’s loneliness differ
greatly. With Olivia, there is a personal tragedy. With Joe, we sense that he
wants to meet people he can connect with and trust. The friends he has seem to
be too superficial. He looks for a deeper friendship.
With Fin, the reasons are more complex. We can’t
quite tell if his self-isolation is largely because of his personality, or
whether the ridicule he receives because of his size prompts him to withdraw
more and more and become increasingly self-reliant.
Joe is Hell bent on bringing the three close
together. There is an awkward silence between Fin and Olivia. Through Joe’s
persistence, Fin and Olivia start to open up. Joe is the underrated character
here. Because he seems to show a genuine interest in Fin and his hobbies, Fin
becomes more comfortable and relaxed.
The friendship the three build together through
Joe’s sheer force of will is beautiful to behold. Through Joe’s antics and
ebullient personality, Fin and Olivia start to embrace fun and happiness. The
first time Fin cracks a smile feels like a weight has been lifted off the
viewers’ shoulders.
But there is a downside with familiarity among
people. That leads to asking more questions – personal questions. And here,
with such questions, there is a risk of damaging the fragile bond among the
three. Just as Fin starts to let his guard down and open up to new friends, he
ends up being let down.
As human beings, when we wall ourselves off from
the outside world for protection, solitude is a safe place. When Fin is let
down, he retreats. But we learn that he is far more in tune with his emotions
than perhaps we anticipated. His sole existence isn’t about self-preservation.
His isolation is a defense mechanism because, we learn, he is sensitive.
Meeting Joe and Olivia brings out his need for human bonding, much as they
needed too. He comes to embrace being an important piece of other people’s
lives.
One of the absolute best things about this film is
that director Tom McCarthy teases the audience with the possibility of guiding
the plot down a conventional path. Lesser writer/directors or films with bigger
budgets may have followed through. But McCarthy gives us a look into humanity
that isn’t overly romanticized. The resolution of the conflicts here feel
natural and human, not contrived and driven by Hollywood. This is a film to
cherish and find a connection to in any way you can.
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