How sad is this?

Don't listen to the negative reviews

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Having heard so much good about this film I was disappoinnted by how mundane and uninteresting it was. The plot is all very familiar and there are no real moments of excitementment of surprise. The jokes are very repetitive. The cast don a fine job. However, the characters are poorly written and despite the good acting I never really became attached to any of the characters. The film is also very short and seems rushed. All in all, this film is just fine, but nothing extraordinary and not very enjoyable.

Fin McBride (Peter Dinklage) works in a Hoboken hobby train shop with his friend Henry. When Henry dies suddenly, the shop is sold and Henry leaves him an abandoned train station in rural New Jersey. He moves into the station to be alone. He is reluctantly pulled into the lives of talkative Joe Oramas (Bobby Cannavale) who is working his father's food truck and Olivia Harris (Patricia Clarkson) who almost runs him over, twice. She is separated from her husband and still struggling with her son's death from two years ago. He is also befriended by young black girl Cleo and librarian Emily (Michelle Williams).It is a nice easy indie of these disparate characters coming together. It's probably the first staring role I saw with Dinklage. It's a quiet performance. Cannavale is his opposite. Clarkson is a little goofy at first but turns into a very compelling character. Williams is the young ingénue. The plot needs a more interesting narrative. There are no real stakes other than personal growth. I like these characters but there is no intensity.

One of the great independent films of 2003 and one of my personal favorites, "The Station Agent" introduces us to the exceptionally talented Peter Dinklage. Although upon first impression most people will only notice his 4 foot 5 inch frame, his deeply brooding and thoughtful performances rival any actor working today. Finbar McBride, or Fin, is a solitary man who works at a hobby shop repairing and working with model trains. One day his friend and the stores owner Henry falls over dead, presumably of a heart attack. Fin is lost in despair, Henry however has left him a small but abandoned depot station to him in his will. With nothing tying him down Fin moves into to the Newfoundland depot station. Just across the way is an oddly placed food truck called Gorgeous Franks and its lone operator Joe, played by Bobby Cannavale. Joe is a friendly and energetic man who's intrigued by Fin arrival. Although not looking to make friends Fin eventually comes around and allows him to hang around with him. Also upon arrival Fin has a few run ins with Olivia, played by Patricia Clarkson. She doesn't make that good a first or second impression for that matter as she almost runs him over with her car, twice. Olivia is a friendly but slightly frantic, painter who is separated from her rich husband, Joe however has had his eye on her for quite some time.Writer and director Tom McCarthy creates this world for these characters that is based in small town reality. Fin has a number of encounters with a curious little African American girl as well as a possible girlfriend in the form of the young and beautiful librarian, played by Michelle Williams. Although the heart of the story is the relationship between the three friend Fin, Joe, and Olivia. All are damaged in their own way and looking for something real. Finn fights with loneliness and alienation, while the return of Olivia's husband throws her life into an angry spiral. Joe is full of life and charisma, but misses his son, who lives with his mother. "The Station Agent" is a wonderful film, skillfully acted on all fronts with a deeply heartfelt story of a marginalized man trying to find his place in the world.Although a lot of people now know Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister on "Game of Thrones", please take a moment to watch "The Station Agent".

If you think your life was tough, meet Fin. Fin is a dwarf who is tormented by many people, mostly kids, due to his size. When Fin's only friend suddenly dies, he moves out to an abandoned train station to live as a hermit due to his love of trains and social hatred. Fin meets two friends named Olivia and Joe who show him the meaning of happiness and fun, who may in fact change his life. Peter Dinklage as a bullied dwarf will break your heart in this soulful role. It's impossible not to feel for is delicate character. Bobby Cannavale as Joe is a load of fun and breathes life into this grounded story. Patricia Clarkson is full of emotions, but is too old for the role. "The Station Agent" has so much potential to make Thomas McCarthy's story have more energy, but it sits still for a while and is completely anchored for the most part. Only twice did I feel moved by this story. Sure, it's a journey to go through the life of Fin, but the journey needed more conflict besides Fin being miserable. I would have also liked to see more comedy, since "The Station Agent" works with the blend of comedy and drama from what we have seen. This film sort of feels like a rough draft that needs more soul put into it to get a better result. This film basically says it has potential to be extremely moving, but due to McCarthy's bland direction and seemingly static characters, it doesn't quite achieve. "The Station Agent" is full of beautiful friendships and a protagonist e root for all the way. It would have been better if the film was just more of what it had to offer.