{image1}"The Station Agent" is the film that really should be called "Trainspotting." This charming film, written and directed by Thomas McCarthy, has got trains galore.
Inexplicably rated R, "The Station Agent" is a sweet film about a man born with dwarfism who inherits a small, dilapidated train depot in a small town in New Jersey. It's just the kind of film younger viewers should see.
Fin (Peter Dinklage) works as a repairman in a model train shop in a small town. When his boss falls dead on the shop floor, Fin finds out the shop will close and that his boss has left him a piece of property in Newfoundland, New Jersey with a small depot on it.
As a railroad buff would do, Fin fills his suitcase, consults a map and follows the tracks from his town to the depot. Right away he meets the outgoing Joe (Bobby Cannavale), who has a snack truck that sets up daily outside the depot and who is eager to make friends with the standoffish Fin.
He is also befriended by Olivia (Patricia Clarkson), who nearly runs him over twice and who - struggling through a break-up -- could really use some friends. Newfoundland - pronounced New FOUND land -- is an insular place and a lot of people seeming need some new friends. The girl at the local library also makes friends with Fin, as does a neighborhood schoolgirl.
But, even after Fin opens up and accepts his new friends into his world, everyone in the film feels lonely and isolated. While they chat and eat together and drink together -- they even sit and watch trains and walk the tracks together -- each has his own burden to bear and can seemingly only do it alone.
Fin has lived a life in an oversized world that has always viewed him as a freak. Joe's father is sick and he's at dad's beck and call. Olivia's relationship woes affect her dramatically, the library girl has problems of her own, not the least of which is her redneck Jersey boyfriend.
With a simple storyline and with affecting performances from everyone in the cast, "The Station Agent" is one of the best films of the year and, sadly, will likely go all but unnoticed. Don't let yourself miss this simple, intimate and lovely film.
"The Station Agent" opens Fri., Nov. 14 at Landmark's Downer Theatre.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
