The Station Agent

Finbar McBride is a man used to being alone. The lead character in The Station Agent, Finbar is a dwarf, and he’s learned to limit his interaction with people in order to limit his rejection by them. When he unexpectedly inherits a lonely railroad station, he finds that a couple of his rural neighbors aren’t as easy to shake off as the people in town. There’s Joe, who runs the local roach coach, and Olivia, an artist. Both characters are as emotionally damaged as Finbar, with one marked difference: They like people. And at the moment, the person they like best is -Finbar.

Peter Dinklage has the title role, and he plays Finbar with a quiet determination and solid resolve. Confused and suspicious of their motives, he’s cautious with Joe and Olivia. He’s eventually worn down by their constant chatter and begrudgingly opens up bit by bit. As Joe, Bobby Cannavale is a charmer — part puppy dog, part pest — oblivious to Finbar’s numerous rebuffs. (Sex and the City fans will remember Cannavale as Samantha’s boyfriend with the foul-tasting spunk.) Patricia Clarkson’s Olivia is a little bit more complicated. She’s still grieving the death of her young son. The three eventually form a lopsided family of sorts, but not without earning themselves a few bruises along the way. 1 p.m. HCC-Town & Country campus, 1060 West Sam Houston Parkway. For information, call 713-718-5642 or visit www.hccs.edu/reel. Free.
Wed., April 9, 1 p.m., 2008