The Station Agent (2003)
91%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 BAFTA Award
29 wins & 31 nominations total
A sweet and quirky film about a dwarf, a refreshment stand operator, and a reclusive artist connecting with one another.
The Station Agent is a heartwarming film that proves that sometimes the smallest stories can have the biggest impact. Peter Dinklage’s performance is nothing short of amazing, and the delicate tone of the film is both hypnotic and refreshing. It’s a quiet joy with breathtaking performances that will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired. Plus, who doesn’t love a good human-interest story that doesn’t rely on clichés and stereotypes? Overall, The Station Agent is a must-watch for anyone looking for a feel-good movie that’s both charming and thought-provoking.
Production Company(ies)
American Zoetrope Zoetrope Studios,
Distributor
Miramax Films
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Newfoundland, New Jersey, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language and some drug content
Year of Release
2003
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 28m
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Language(s):English, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 10, 2003 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2004
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Peter Dinklage, Bobby Cannavale, Patricia Clarkson, Raven Goodwin, Paul Benjamin, Michelle Williams, directed by Tom McCarthy, written by Tom McCarthy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Amy Taubin, Antonia Quirke, Nell Minow, David Ansen, Nick Schager, Damon Wise, Michael Clark, David Walsh, Leigh Paatsch, Josh Larsen, MPAA rating R, train aficionado, little person, railroad depot, New Jersey, talkative food vendor, unhappy wife, librarian, refreshment stand operator, reclusive artist, friendship, loneliness, isolation, human-interest story, smart writing, excellent cast, emotional reality, subtle drama, humor, wonderful characters, restrained performance, charming characters, enjoyable story
Worldwide gross: $8,701,337
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $14,103,751
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,846
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,538,032
US/Canada gross: $5,739,376
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $9,302,792
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,633
US/Canada opening weekend: $57,785
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $93,662
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,954
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $810,436
Production budget ranking: 2,099
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $436,420
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,856,896
ROI to date (est.): 1,031%
ROI ranking: 118
Patricia Clarkson – Olivia Harris
Bobby Cannavale – Joe Oramas
Raven Goodwin – Cleo
Paul Benjamin – Henry Styles
Michelle Williams – Emily
Director(s)
Tom McCarthy
Writer(s)
Tom McCarthy
Producer(s)
Mary Jane Skalski, Robert May, Kathryn Tucker
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 BAFTA Award
29 wins & 31 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (161) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (151) | Rotten (10)
The Station Agent is little more than a three-character, metaphorically burdened off-Broadway play, but Peter Dinklage’s understated performance gives it a bit of substance.
April 10, 2018
Amy Taubin
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Dinklage is a star, for sure, but the film is hypnotic because of its unusually certain and constantly delicate tone.
December 18, 2017
Antonia Quirke
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
A quiet joy with breathtaking performances.
December 29, 2010 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
What saves the movie, and gives it what emotional reality it has, is the acting. A lot of the good will this movie has generated is due to Dinklage, who single-handedly overturns decades of screen stereotypes.
November 1, 2007
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
A pleasurably quaint tale.
May 4, 2005 | Rating: B
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
It’s The Station Agent’s meditation on the smaller things in life that make it such a big deal.
May 14, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Damon Wise
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
If you’re in the market for a human-interest story which earns its uplift and inspiration tags through deft writing without beating you over the head with clichés and stereotypes, you’re not likely to find a better example than The Station Agent.
October 24, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
Michael Clark
Epoch Times
It’s not possible to make an enduring work simply by removing the offending features of “blockbuster” productions, the aforementioned bombast, violence, stupidity.
February 15, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
In a rare case of cinematic synchronicity, we get to know them at exactly the same speed as they get to know each other.
August 30, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
For the first time in his career, Dinklage was allowed to play someone with dimension, passion, and an identity beyond his physical attributes, and he makes the most of it.
June 16, 2016
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
There isn’t a character, location or situation in The Station Agent that could exist anywhere other than in a screenplay.
July 21, 2011 | Rating: 1.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Peter Dinklage details Fin’s solitude in single glances, but his countenance also warms to eventual friendship. It’s an attenuated, reserved, realistic performance – bolstered when we learn Fin is silent because shouting only summons repressed rage.
October 8, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Nick Rogers
Suite101.com…
Plot
When his only friend and co-worker dies, a young man born with dwarfism moves to an abandoned train depot in rural New Jersey. Though he tried to maintain a life of solitude, he is soon entangled with an artist who is struggling with a personal tragedy and an overly friendly Cuban hot-dog vendor.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Peter Dinklage’s performance in The Station Agent is described as “exceptional” and “underrated” by audience members.
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