TRAIN DREAMS is a Hauntingly Beautiful Journey Capturing The Spirit of the American Frontier - Sundance Review
From the moment Train Dreams began, I knew I was in for something special. This film completely pulled me in with its storytelling, setting, and its historical setting.
I love films that immerse me in a different time and place, making you feel like you’re walking alongside its characters. Director Clint Bentley has crafted something truly beautiful here, capturing both the grandeur of early 20th-century America and the deeply personal journey of a man navigating a life of love, loss, and change.
The film follows Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), a laborer working on America’s expanding railroads. He’s an ordinary man, a logger, a husband, and a father. His life is simple but layered with quiet struggles and unexpected heartbreak.
Watching it felt like listening to the kinds of stories my grandpa used to tell me of what it was like to work in America in this same era- stories of resilience, of ordinary people witnessing extraordinary change.
It’s an Americana story through and through, rich with the texture of a bygone era. The film carries the same kind of warmth and nostalgia I feel when watching Seabiscuit or October Sky. It’s a comfort film, one that settles into your soul.
Edgerton and Felicity Jones both deliver performances that ground the film, giving it a quiet intensity. Their chemistry and emotional depth make the film’s quieter moments just as powerful as its grander ones.
The supporting cast adds even more richness, with William H. Macy standing out as an explosives expert who brings humor and energy to the story. Every character feels lived-in, adding to the authenticity of the world Bentley has created.
But what truly stayed with me was the journey this film took me on. It’s a film about change, how we endure it, how it shapes us, and how we reconcile our place in an ever-moving world.
The final moments left me with a full heart. Train Dreams was my favorite film at Sundance, and I have no doubt it’s one I’ll return to, to watch it again and again.