Train Dreams - A Movie Review

The world’s an old place.

Train Dreams is a 2025 film based on Denis Johnson’s novella. The story follows Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker, who experiences turmoil in the midst of his happy life. Although the journey of grief is difficult, Robert keeps moving forward.

Sometimes we have to take a different pathway. No movie is ever simple, and there’s a lot under the tracks of Train Dreams. Bad things will happen in life, which is why we should enjoy the present moment.

Joel Edgerton’s performance as Robert Granier is human. Robert is a quiet man with a loud mind. He plays an average man who undergoes a traumatic ordeal. The situation does affect him, but Robert never becomes bitter.

According to Edgerton, he connected to his character on a personal level. First, he tried to buy the novella’s film rights years ago, to make his own film, but had no luck. Now a father, Edgerton said this impacted his way of playing the character.

The people whom Robert meets throughout his life are important, whether in romance, friendships, or short passages. Felicity Jones plays Gladys, Robert’s wife. Edgerton and Jones studied their relationship, from sweet interactions to serious discussions. Love is not always a perfect life. Amelia Hilson is so adorable as his baby daughter, Olive.

Credits also include Clifton Collins Jr., Alfred Hsing, Nathaniel Arcand, and a short appearance by William H. Macy and Kerry Condon. Will Patton richly narrates the tale as Robert from the future.

When Clint Bentley read the 2011 novella, he was drawn to the story’s sense of purpose. He wrote the script with Greg Kwedar. Bentley chose silent storytelling, and I am glad he did. We don’t have enough films where we can just watch and not listen to several conversations.

In Adolpho Veloso’s cinematography, Train Dreams is directed like a memory. As we keep growing, every memory in our lives is important, good or bad. It’s edited this way in quick shots and following the character’s actions. The train tracks are more symbolic than you realize.

Nature becomes a prominent character in the film. Forests, sunlight, and train tracks are shown in artsy camera angles. Only a certain number of trees were cut down in scenes.

I like how sunlight is peaking through the trees in some scenes. It’s a colorful atmosphere, but during the film’s pivotal moment, the color drains. With Robert’s traumatic life event, the color seeps back in as he regains closure.

Grief is a prominent theme. The story takes a sad turn of events. I thought it would be a more uplifting story, but the film’s message spoke to me. Nobody ever knows what is going to happen in life.

I noticed that two films in this year’s Oscar lineup showcase grief in two different formats. While Hamnet takes a theater route, Train Dreams views it as making connections. Moving forward is so tough with all these difficult emotions plaguing our minds. What both films signify is that we should never grieve alone. We’ll find others to connect with.

One of my favorite quotes was, “He would always look back at this time in life as his happiest.” We’re the narrators of our lives. Looking back at memories is a step back in time to revisit special moments that were more significant than you realized. Never take life for granted and appreciate what you have.

Train Dreams is a deep look into life and being grateful. It has slow pacing, but viewers need to pay attention to every moment. The film is streaming on Netflix.