The Station Agent

So, it's Friday night and you and your honey decide it's going to be an ice cream and movie night. She doesn't want you to go to the video store because she's afraid you'll come back with an Adam Sandler movie, you don't want her to go because you're afraid she'll come back with a ballroom dancing movie and you can't go together because well, for some crazy reason the kids get freaked out by all those videos that feature bloody women in lingerie on the cover. What to do? I have a suggestion, why not rent a movie about a midget who lives in an old, neglected, one room, former train depot in rural New Jersey?

The Best Movie Youve Never Heard Of

I can not tell you how many times I have walked into Blockbuster after a six week absence thinking, "surely one good movie has come out in the last six weeks", only to walk out half an hour later emptyhanded. It seems like they are only making two to three good movies a year anymore. Sometimes out of desperation Jen or I will take a chance on some unheard of movie that looks kind of different. There is no in between with these movies, they are either spectacular or spectacular flops. A lot of these movies are really different, lots of long pauses, extreme close-ups, fuzzy shots; random, inexplicable scenes, etc... You know what I mean, you've probably suffered through your fair share of them. The Station Agent is not one of these movies. There is an old saying that runs something like," don't be different to be different, be different to be better." The Station Agent is different and it is the best movie to come out in the last three years.

It is slow. There are frequent moments of silence or limited dialogue. There is a lot of cursing, and one of the film's major themes is pain. Have I convinced you to see it yet?

It is also full of hope, kindness, and love. It has some truly funny scenes that are all the funnier for the subtle ways in which they are delivered. The scenery is lush and rich, the dialogue rings true, the acting rings true, the silence rings true. All three of the main characters are extremely likable, loveable actually. The movie doesn't rely on gimmicks, plot twists, over explanation, or over acting. It just slowly unfolds in this wonderful, honest, understated drama that will leave you smiling at the end, full of love for your fellow man and your friend who recommended it to you.