From a quiet story about a logger, they knew they could build an American epic

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“Train Dreams” is a visually stunning film that captures the spirit of America during the early to mid-1900s. It portrays the ambitious construction of railroads and bridges across the wild landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and the challenges people faced as the country modernized.

“Train Dreams” focuses on the life of Robert Grainier, a quiet and hardworking man played by Joel Edgerton, who spends his days doing seasonal logging work in Idaho. Like many laborers of his time, Grainier helped build massive structures, but rarely got to appreciate the full scope of what he accomplished. He was so focused on the details of his work that he couldn’t see the bigger picture.

I was sitting with the director, Clint Bentley, and co-writer Greg Kwedar, along with actor Edgerton, at a conference table in Chicago’s Four Seasons hotel. We were up on the 33rd floor, and honestly, looking out at the amazing view of the city and Lake Michigan, I couldn’t help but wonder what their friend, Robert, would have thought of it all.

Kwedar, 41, describes loving films that evoke a sense of immense scale, like gazing at the Milky Way. However, he feels their work aims for a different kind of wonder—a focused, intimate experience. He compares it to using a telescope to closely examine the moon, finding a similar feeling of awe in really connecting with and truly seeing another person.

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Bentley and Kwedar’s adaptation of “Train Dreams” captures the feeling of a grand story told on a small scale, mirroring the delicate yet sweeping style of Denis Johnson’s original novella from 2011. The character of Robert embodies the quiet, hardworking individuals who played a modest role in something much bigger than their own lives.

The film also delves into the private world of a reclusive man and his unique ideas about how he wants to live, but his plans are ultimately disrupted by unforeseen events.

Josh Lawson, an Australian actor known for portraying complex, vulnerable characters in films like “Animal Kingdom” and “Loving,” as well as the series “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” is part of what makes the film compelling. Unlike many Hollywood blockbusters focused on extraordinary heroes, “Train Dreams” offers a relatable story about an ordinary man, allowing audiences to connect with Robert on a more personal level.

According to director Joel Edgerton, showing a realistic, everyday life on screen helps audiences form a deeper connection than they usually experience. He believes the film’s deliberate pace and quiet moments, hallmarks of Clint Eastwood’s style, give viewers space to reflect on their own lives while following the protagonist’s story, making the experience particularly meaningful.

Directors Bentley and Kwedar have developed a distinctive style of subtle, emotionally resonant storytelling since they first met as film students 15 years ago. Bentley, now 40, remembers brainstorming ideas during a road trip through Austin, Texas. He shared a detailed vision for a certain kind of story, and Kwedar succinctly captured the core theme: exploring human connection in challenging environments.

He laughs. “Greg is the king of the catchphrase.”

Since 2016, when they released the critically praised indie thriller “Transpecos” – a story about border patrol agents caught in a dangerous fight with a drug cartel – Bentley and Kwedar have become a successful filmmaking team, collaborating on four films so far, with a fifth, “Saturn Return” starring Rachel Brosnahan and Will Poulter, currently being filmed in Chicago. What sets them apart from other director-writer pairs is that they genuinely share the creative process. They co-write all their screenplays, but take turns directing, with Bentley at the helm for “Train Dreams.”

Despite being distinct films, Kwedar and Bentley’s work is united by a focus on finding human connection in unexpected settings, and a knack for showcasing talented but lesser-known actors. For example, Clifton Collins Jr., who appeared in both “Transpecos” and “Train Dreams,” won an award at Sundance for his performance in Bentley’s moving film “Jockey,” where he plays an aging jockey. Similarly, Colman Domingo received an Oscar nomination for his leading role in Kwedar’s “Sing Sing,” portraying an inmate who directs a theater group. The screenplay for “Sing Sing,” adapted by Bentley, Kwedar, Clarence Maclin, and John Whitfield, also received a nomination.

Bentley and Kwedar didn’t initially write “Train Dreams” thinking of actor Lucas Edgerton, but it felt like fate brought them together. Edgerton discovered the story through a friend and was deeply affected by it, leading him to explore the possibility of adapting it for the screen – potentially as a project following his 2018 film, “Boy Erased,” in which he both starred and directed alongside Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman.

The story deeply moved me, so I tentatively asked about the possibility of adapting it, though I worried it wouldn’t translate well to film. I was actually somewhat relieved when someone else secured the rights. Later, after the success of ‘Jockey,’ the project unexpectedly came back to me when the producers were convinced we had the right team to make it.

Many books feel like they’re already movies waiting to happen, making the novel format seem almost pointless. But “Train Dreams” is different – it’s truly great literature, and that means it’s challenging. Johnson tells the story of Robert’s life in fragments, jumping around in time, and portrays his relationships and experiences as realistic memories, not overly dramatic scenes.

Kwedar admits he prefers straightforward storytelling and filmmaking, and he was initially unsure if he was the right person for the project. He remembers being overwhelmed by the beauty of Johnson’s writing, noting Johnson’s ability to capture complex emotions with concise and impactful sentences.

Instead of cutting those lines of dialogue, Bentley and Kwedar cleverly integrated them into voice-over narration read by Will Patton, who also narrated the audiobook. However, Bentley faced a bigger challenge: portraying a quiet, complex logger. It’s one thing to explore a character’s inner thoughts in a book, but much harder to do that in a film.

Bentley explains that it was crucial for Robert’s character to be reserved. Though he feels things deeply, thinks a lot, and is genuinely curious, he struggles to find the right words to communicate his thoughts and feelings.

Robert might live like a hermit, but his life isn’t without connection. He finds love with Gladys (Felicity Jones), and they build a life and family together in a peaceful forest cabin. A stray red dog becomes a loyal companion during his summers living simply in a temporary shelter. And Claire (Kerry Condon), a forestry worker, becomes intrigued by this quiet, unusual man. While the story is emotionally powerful on paper, bringing it to the screen proved difficult.

This is where an actor like Edgerton really shines. Bentley compares him to classic stars like Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Lee Marvin, praising his ability to convey a lot with minimal effort.

“I’ve got four emotions,” jokes Edgerton. “Happy, angry, sad, confused.”

Edgerton is accustomed to achieving a lot with minimal resources, a skill likely developed growing up in Australia with his brother, Nash—who works as an actor, director, and stuntman. He explains, “It’s a trait I noticed in many of the men I grew up around—they’d avoid openly displaying emotion. Clint and I often discussed how actors express emotions compared to how audiences interpret them.”

Edgerton compares his acting in this role to Anthony Hopkins’ subtle performances in films like “The Remains of the Day,” where Hopkins played a reserved English butler who carefully hides his feelings for the housekeeper. He explains that Hopkins’ characters would often retreat to private moments to allow themselves to feel, and that this deeply affected him. It made him think about how much emotion men, like the character he’s playing, are willing to reveal.

While primarily set in the first half of the 20th century and extending into the 1960s, the film “Train Dreams” clearly echoes issues we still face today. Early in the film, a scene taken directly from the original story shows Robert’s coworker – one of the Chinese laborers who built the railroads – being attacked and driven away by a hostile crowd. This traumatic event stays with Robert throughout his life, and it mirrors the historical and ongoing problem of immigrants being targeted by prejudice and anger.

Edgerton believes Robert’s inherent goodness is reflected in the fact that others don’t blame him for the worker’s death, even though he feels deeply responsible. He points out this isn’t just an American issue; similar situations occur in Australia and London, where immigrant workers contribute to the economy but are often mistreated and disregarded. It highlights a complex global problem of exploiting vulnerable workers.

For Kwedar, Robert’s dilemma in that scene mirrors the experience of many ordinary people.

The screenwriter asks: how responsible are we for events that seem out of our hands? How much power do we actually have to change things that feel inevitable? And where, if anywhere, could we have stepped in to prevent a negative outcome?

Although “Train Dreams” touches on current problems – the filmmakers even had to avoid a real wildfire while filming a scene – Bentley and Kwedar aren’t naturally pessimistic, and their films aren’t bleak, particularly regarding people. Robert faces difficulties and loss, but his story contributes to a larger view of America where even unnoticed lives matter.

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Bentley and Kwedar frequently explore the idea of resilience in their work, and they excel at putting their characters through intense challenges. They depict situations like a jockey pushing through pain to finish a race, or prisoners finding inner peace in a tough environment. Kwedar believes the world isn’t necessarily becoming more dangerous, but rather more skeptical and jaded.

Kwedar believes there’s room for all types of art, but he and Clint are particularly interested in stories with a hopeful message. Even when their characters struggle, they look for narratives where people choose to believe in each other and show compassion, even in difficult circumstances.

Before we finish up, let’s consider this: would Edgerton have been able to work as a lumberjack in Idaho around the early 1900s? Basically, how skilled was he with an axe?

“Pretty good,” the actor says with a modest smile. “Pretty good.”

“What’s your favorite-looking tool?” asks Kwedar.

“Axe. The double-headed axe, yeah.”

“Not the crosscut, right?”

“I don’t like the crosscut, because you’re relying on someone else.”

This leads us back to the scene with the Chinese worker and what it represents: losing connection with the person on the other side of the saw makes the work pointless. Edgerton also remembers a scene that didn’t make the final cut, where the foreman tells everyone else to go back to their ordinary jobs.

The film ends with a quiet resignation. One character simply states, ‘Life goes on,’ acknowledging the loss but also the unavoidable need to move forward. It’s a stark reminder that even in the face of tragedy, the world doesn’t stop, and people have to return to their routines. It’s a simple line, but it really stuck with me – a poignant observation on resilience and the relentless march of time.

“Train Dreams” shows that the growth of America often came at a price, and that price was frequently paid by the workers who built the nation, like Robert Grainier. While they may not have lived to see the benefits of their work, the film beautifully captures the railroads and bridges they constructed as lasting symbols against the western landscape. It’s a film that both reveals the vastness of the country they helped create and highlights the personal impact of their labor.

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2025-11-05 22:02