Train Dreams

Logging was hard enough on its own, but traveling to build section after section of tracks in physically dangerous work situations at that time was difficult. He has to spend long stretches in different forests sawing down enormous trees in the company of tough men where life is pushed or controlled by nature. Fellow logger, Boomer (Clifton Collins, Jr. – Jockey) adds some humor to their everyday work life, which draws a smile here and there.

But there are social matters that have to be dealt with. It obviously bothers Robert when he sees a Chinese immigrant worker being mistreated, and even thrown off a bridge when for no good reason. There is not a lot of dialogue in this film, but you can see what Australian actor Edgerton is thinking by the look in his steel blue eyes and subtle stares. If he doesn’t like something, he keeps is pretty much inside his head.

Robert finds love when Gladys (Felicity Jones), a petite, bright-eyed woman follows him after church. He would never approach her, but they become inseparable. He is so proud he can build her a cabin for an idyllic life as a family with their little daughter. But when he has to go far away for work, she is the one left to take care of the baby and everything else by herself for long periods of time. 

Robert strikes up a few friendships working alongside loggers in the camps. One friend of note is Arn Peeples (William H. Macy). He’s a crusty old explosives expert who has plenty of stories from past experience to spill, with advice and warnings. And there’s Apostle Frank (Paul Schneider) who talks a lot about religion with non-stop preaching so opposite to Robert’s silence. 

Edgerton is so soft-spoken as he subtly displays how happy he is to be home, passionate with his loving wife and delighted being with their little girl. It’s heartwarming to see how he loves holding her, enjoying each other and nature. He and Gladys try to make up for lost time until he leaves again for long stretches. Lonely, Robert worries about them but keeps it all in. There is very little small-talk when he is on the job. He’s just marking time until he can return home. 

But tragedy strikes when Robert comes back from a logging trip to having to run through a forest fire that was raging through their community. Heartbreak is on full display when he discovers there no home, wife or child left to come home to. Edgerton’s portrayal of grief and desperation are just too much to bear, and for us to watch. It was all too much to see these scenes right after seeing the explosive fires on the news in the California Palisades. And to see the stunning visuals of the landscapes in this film up until that point turn into ash was just so devastating.

Robert goes through the grieving process not knowing how to go on. He’s totally lost. The rest of Robert’s life bridges huge changes over time in America, yet he remains constant living a long, solitary life with his grief. Edgerton portrays this soft-spoken man who may not have been extraordinary, but fully cognizant of life’s changes over time. Bentley structures the film as a biopic of this undistinguished man who deeply touches us. Splendidly shot and so well portrayed by Edgerton, this film is bursting with basic goodness and dignity. It is a scenic and touching ode to humanity.

Black Bear   1 Hour 42 Minutes     PG-13