Another great independent movie...
I am happy to say that there are still films being made that are original, well-made, and extremely entertaining. Case in point: The Station Agent. It is a wonderful 'day-in-the-life-of' movie. The story revolves around Fin, a dwarf who loves trains. He lives a simple, quiet life until the sudden death of his only friend. He then inherits a small train depot in the boondocks of New Jersey. He moves there with the hope of escaping a life of stares and comments. His life is forever changed by the people he meets there.
I absolutely love this kind of film. Yes, we need the big action movies and films made entirely to win oscars, but sometimes the best way to escape the dredges of life is to watch another person's day-to-day struggles. No matter how mundane, I think it is fascinating to see the simplest of character developments. I have often envied the ability many screenwriter's possess to create characters who are both multi-layered and very simple. That doesn't sound possible, but I've seen it several times. Films like "Being There" starring Peter Sellers, "Chocolat" starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp, and most recently "Garden State", an incredible first-time film written and directed by Zach Braff who also brings to life the incredibly ordinary