Starring: Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale
Director: Thomas McCarthy
Country: USA
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Audience Award
Special Jury Prize
Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award
- Sundance Film Festival

Understated is the name of the game here. Actor turned writer/director Thomas McCarthy seems more interested in an engrossing character study than in a scathing melodrama. His story revolves around a dwarf named Fin who inherits a train depot, and against his intentions befriends two locals. The characters here all have such extensive backgrounds that each could be the subject of their own films. But instead of showing the burdens that are inherent in each of the characters, McCarthy explores how they bring out the best in one another. This is a comedy that rarely evokes laughter but rather firmly plants a smile on the viewers face. Dinklage, Clarkson, and Cannavale have incredible chemistry, making it nearly impossible not to be drawn into their world. Dinklage in particular puts in a confident and vulnerable performance that demands attention. The Station Agent is a brilliant and insightful look at acceptance and resilience in the face of adversity. After all, laughter is the best medicine.