In Clint Bentley’s moving adaptation, a quiet logger’s inner world becomes the emotional core of a sweeping American story. Joel Edgerton delivers a powerful, near-silent performance as Robert Grainier, a member of the transient workforce that carved paths for the nation’s railroads in the early 20th century.
Living a sparse, wandering existence, Grainier is a man of deep, unspoken feelings. The film gives voice to his rich internal life—the private thoughts and dreams that otherwise go unheard. Adapted from Denis Johnson’s novella, the picture possesses a lyrical beauty, with visuals that capture the epic American landscape in all its glory. Low-angle shots and golden-hour light create a meditative atmosphere.
Grainier, an orphan from Idaho, endures his solitude and backbreaking labor with quiet strength. His life is transformed when he meets and marries Gladys, a role brought to life by Felicity Jones. He finds profound joy in starting a family, yet is tormented by the long separations required by his work.
On the job, he is surrounded by hardened men whose own stories seem as impenetrable as the forests they clear. Yet, the film reveals how their hidden personalities—from a garrulous explosives expert to a strangely chattering coworker—impact Grainier. He is awed by the natural beauty around him, even as he participates in its destruction, and is haunted by visions of a future spent only as a drifter with a saw.
His deepest pain is the absence of his wife and child, a longing that exists alongside the joy of their reunions. The couple dreams of settling down with their own sawmill, a plan that raises the question of whether it’s time to leave his nomadic life behind.
The film’s final act reflects on the fleeting nature of a lifetime, how it can be condensed into a series of powerful memories. Edgerton conveys this profound journey with immense grace and empathy.
Train Dreams arrives in cinemas on November 7, followed by a Netflix release on November 21.
