The Station Agent (2003)
Finn (Peter Dinklage) considers himself just a regular, boring kinda guy. He seems almost obsessed with trains & mainly keeps to himself, due to a lifetime of abuse hurled by insensitive strangers. Finn is a dwarf who inherits an abandoned train depot in Newfoundland, New Jersey from his closest friend.
When he moves to Newfoundland, he does so in an attempt to get away from everything in his past. He just wants to be left alone from the discriminating eyes of people who view him as a freak show. Despite his best efforts to stave off the locals he meets, he finds himself being drawn into their lives.
First, there's the chatty coffee truck guy, Joe (Bobby Cannavale), who just wants to hang out, have a few beers, chat, whatever. Though initially cold to all the attention paid to him, Finn eventually acquieses & a friendship is apparently born.
His first meetings with Olivia (the always fantastic Patricia Clarkson) don't go as well. The first two times they meet, she almost hits him in her vehicle while he's walking on the side of the road. Finn's been unfairly persecuted before, but this is probably a newer, more vicious twist. Understandably, he's a bit shaken up by these events & tries to curl back into his shell.
Most of the townsfolk are of the ilk that tend to mock those that don't fit into their narrow-minded view of normal. Finn does seem to bring out the best in those that view him as an equal. Especially the cute young librarian (Michelle Williams) who "likes his chin."
Dinklage is a revelation in this film. Most of the time we see dwarves in movies, they are used as the butt of a joke, or commonly fill out the freak role (see Troyer, Verne). Truth be told, most dwarves are probably more embarassed by Troyer & his like, due to the unfortunate roles they always seem to be cast in. Dinklage shows that he's just a regular guy, just a bit height-challenged is all. In the beginning, you can see that all he wants is to be left alone in his little train depot. Whether it be human nature or just being charmed by the select few he lets into his life, he does open up in the end.
There's a way this movie could've gone, a predictable end to be sure. There's even one scene where Joe asks Finn if there was a club for people like him. Finn looks a bit surprised "A club?" "Yeah, for guys who like trains & stuff." To the movie's credit, it shows that Finn probably should give everyone a chance before judging them as he believes he's always pre-judged.
I really liked this film, that like it's lead actor tends to be small in stature, but big in heart. Sorry for the cliche, but it's a lovely little bit of smalltown America (with a Canadian name) with a magnetic cast. I'd have loved to see this movie go on longer, but in the end, I think they ended it on the right note. 4 outta 5.
Roger Ebert's review of The Station Agent (2003)