The Station Agent (2003)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Thomas McCarthy

Writer (WGA):

Thomas McCarthy (written by)

Release Date:

5 December 2003 (Sweden)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Loneliness is much better when you have got someone to share it with (norway DVD release).

Plot:

When his only friend dies, a man born with dwarfism moves to rural New Jersey to live a life of solitude, only to meet a chatty hot dog vendor and a woman dealing with her own personal loss.

Plot Keywords:

Train | Newfoundland New Jersey | Dwarf | Train Station | Hot Dog Vendor

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 22 wins & 21 nominations

Cast

Peter Dinklage	...	Finbar McBride
Paul Benjamin	...	Henry Styles
Jase Blankfort	...	Store Customer
Paula Garcés	...	Cashier (as Paula Garces)
Josh Pais	...	Carl
Richard Kind	...	Louis Tiboni
Bobby Cannavale	...	Joe Oramas
Patricia Clarkson	...	Olivia Harris
Lynn Cohen	...	Patty at the Good to Go
Raven Goodwin	...	Cleo
Marla Sucharetza	...	Janice
Michelle Williams	...	Emily
Jayce Bartok	...	Chris
Joe Lo Truglio	...	Danny (as Joe Lotruglio)
John Slattery	...	David

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some drug content.

Runtime:

88 min | USA:89 min (Encore print) | Turkey:83 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-3 | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Australia:M | Germany:o.Al. | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:7 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Norway:7 | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

SenArt Films

Trivia:

Such were the budgetary constraints on this 20-day shoot, Patricia Clarkson's modified trailer - a windowless contraption - had originally been used for transporting horses.

Goofs:

Continuity: Olivia's knees when she's lounging on the couch during the "Have you ever been in love?" scene.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Henry Styles: Morning, professor.
Finbar McBride: Good morning.

Movie Connections:

References Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Soundtrack:

Beautiful End

favourite film of the last few years

I have never commented on any database about anything until now.

I wanted to find out more about the cast and Google raised this DB; I was delighted to see the customer comment facility. Reading a selection of comments I was astonished to find how much uniformity there was. Many of us seem to have had a similar experience.

I have seen the film twice. I enjoyed it so much that I thought perhaps it was because I was in the right mood and it would not stand scrutiny a second time. I enjoyed it, if anything, more on the second occasion. On both occasions when the film ended there was an audible groan of dismay from the audience that it finished long before they were ready.

It has not had a wide circulation in England and I have been a one man promotional bore encouraging friends to go to see it.

I thought that Lost in Translation would be my favourite of the last few years but it has been pushed out of the top slot.

I am surprise at a few of the comments from other contributors. "what is a coffee wagon doing in such a place", "poor script for Patricia Clarkson" etc.

For me the script, photography, acting, cutting and casting were perfect. Only one complaint- too short.

It is hard to pick the best performance and I will certainly change my mind next time I ask myself, but today I would go for Bobby Cannavale.

Geoff Livesey