For as important building the railroads has been to the United States, its surprising to see how relatively few movies have been made about that time. Perhaps many thought it impossible now; if Kevin Costner tried and failed, who else could? Well, apparently Clint Bentley, who found a new path. Train Dreams captures a snapshot of building the transcontinental railroads in new ways that understand what is timeless: a man’s journey to understanding the world around him.
That man is Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton). Robert is your standard logger in 1890s, helping pave the way for the Great Northern Railways across the US. His life snaps into focus when he meets Gladys (Felicity Jones) in between logging stints. The two are smitten and get married quickly, settling into a log cabin Robert built on the Moyie River with their first daughter. From there, we’re half time on the road with Robert and his logging compatriots like Billy (John Diehl) or Arn Peeples (William H. Macy), and half at home with Robert and Gladys and their adorable daughter Kate.
I don’t think Clint Bentley had a lot of money to shoot Train Dreams. But like The Brutalist last year, he makes the absolute most out of what he’s got. The camera framing is fascinating here, making the audience feel like they’re in intimate settings with the characters, but also, sprawling out wide and upwards so we immerse ourselves in the giant vistas of the luscious Pacific Northwest. That duality makes Train Dreams feel more and more epic as the story goes on. Thematically, it makes sense too, as Robert Grainier is firmly planted on the ground, wondering what his purpose and place in the cosmos is. Bentley gives the movie the flexibility of scope necessary to tell the story effectively, adapting the size of the picture as the story needs it to be, saving one or two tricks for key moments in his film.
Maybe Clint’s biggest risk was casting Joel Edgerton. I’ve always like Joel, but he has a way of selflessly removing himself from a movie to inhabit the characters he plays, making them somewhat generic. In Train Dreams that instinct serves the movie well. Robert is the everyman, going about his day to day but constantly retreating inward to understand himself better. This is likely his best work, and very possibly the best work he’ll ever do in his career. Bentley surrounded his pensive star with a wonderful set of supporting players. Felicity Jones, very much the female Joel Edgerton, is fine here, but not really asked to do much other than be homely. Kerry Condon nails the two scenes she has, though she is clearly a figment of a writer’s imagination. The loggers leave the best impressions. John Diehl is excellent playing an aging coworker a few years older than Robert, who he monitors closely for a glimpse into his future. But the loveliest surprise was the William H. Macy revival. This was vintage Macy, the right mixture of brilliant, idiotic, and whimsical. Good to see he translates to Washington just as well as North Dakota.
Perhaps I was too hard on Felicity Jones. She has great taste, ending up in ambitious, fascinating movie projects. As an NBA fan, I’ve gotta start treating her as Russell Westbrook. If she’s in the movie, I know the movie’s gonna be good. There’s just an upper cap at how good that movie is going to be. Fair trade off as far as I’m concerned. More Brutalists and Train Dreams Felicity!