I am not just thinking of Matt Le Blanc here, though when the sitcom of the same name fumbles on to the screen next year we will really see if the stupid schtick can prop up a series. The least mentioned of the The Station Agent’s three lead characters is also an apparently dumb Cuban American called Joe. Played by Bobby Cannavale, it is my favourite character in the film. But lacking the stature of Peter Dinklage or the roll of great character parts that Patricia Clarkson has had it has been generally ignored as another dumb Joe.
This Joe runs his fathers Snack Van which parks by the disused station in the middle of nowhere. It does not seem to be a wise business decision, but Joe mans it with plenty of enthusiasm. The same kind of enthusiasm he puts into being Finbar’s friend. He is comic relief, and we cringe as he tries to get into trainspotting just to be with his new friend. What lies at the heart of this chacter is a profound loneliness though, which Cannavale manages to express via the overt good humour of his role. Is his Joe dumb, or just trapped and desperate for friends. In many ways his loquacious, good looking character is the real mystery in The Station Agent. We understand why Peter Dinklage’s dwarf Finbar shuns society. We empathise with Clarkson’s bereaved mother. Joe, trapped in a dead end job looking after his father makes less sense. Which to me makes him the most fascinating.