The Station Agent (2003) - A little star is born

♥♥♥♥

+ Best Independent Movie of the Year + Best Dramedy of the Year + Best Shooting Star Actor of the Year: Peter Dinklage

Sundance awards and critical praise helps sell this poster's promise of decent, good, bright, grown-up company, for Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent

Fin's boss at the model train shop passes away and leaves a closed up train station in New Jersey to Fin, who decides to move there, where he encounters two new friends.

The Station Agent is written and directed by great New-Jerseyite filmmaker Tom McCarthy (The Cobbler (2014)), whose debut it is.
It is a small, 'good time' story with 4 delightful actors. Peter Dinklage (A Case of You (2013)) is excellent as Fin, and the film gives insight into the life as a little person. It also deals with train fascination and friendships. Bobby Cannavale's (Blue Bloods (2010-11)) character lacks some information; namely, how does he survive on selling hotdogs and coffee in virtual no-man's-land?
The Station Agent is built with warm humor and pleasant scenes with something at stake. It is a fine little picture.

Related posts:


Tom McCarthy: 2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]  
The day after the day after ... the Oscars 2016
Spotlight (2015) - McCarthy puts an admirably bright and sober light on one of the major crimes of modern history

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

 

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 0.5 mil. $
Box office: 8.6 mil. $
= Mega-hit (returned 17.2 times its cost)
[The Station Agent premiered 26 January (Sundance Film Festival, Utah) and runs 90 minutes. Shooting took place in Pennsylvania and New Jersey in August 2002. The film opened 55 to a 57k $ first weekend in 3 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #20 and in 198 theaters (different weeks), grossing 5.7 mil. $ (66.3 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 0.9 mil. $ (10.5 %) and New Zealand with 0.5 mil. $ (5.8 %). The film won a BAFTA, 3/4 Independent Spirit award nominations, 2 National Board of Review awards and 3 prizes at Sundance. Roger Ebert gave it a 3.5/4 star review, translating to a notch better than this one. McCarthy returned with The Visitor (2007). Dinklage returned in Tiptoes (2003), Cannavale in 3 TV credits before Shortcut to Happiness (2003); Michelle Williams (Lassie (1994)) in Dawson's Creek (1998-03)) and theatrically in A Hole in One (2004); and Patricia Clarkson (The East (2013)) in Dogville (2003). The Station Agent is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.97/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The Station Agent?