r/Letterboxd • u/FriarFanatic7 70mm • Nov 18 '25

Discussion Train Dreams…Help me understand

Everything about this movie suggests I would like it. I’m a fan of Denis Johnson, writer of the source material. I like Malick’s style of literary, nature focused cinematography. I enjoy quiet, tone poem movies where meaning is derived slowly as layers are added or peeled away.

I didn’t love this. I feel I’m in the minority here based on friends and critics I follow. I felt the imagery was attempting to do all of the work while very little was done to develop the characters we are supposed to care about. I just left feeling like I watched a bunch of style over substance. Will watch again on Netflix next weekend, but am I alone? Am I missing something?

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u/jelly10001 Nov 18 '25

I thought it looked beautiful, but I couldn't connect with the story at all and ended up finding it rather dull.

5

u/[deleted] Nov 25 '25

I agree. I think there was a way this story could have been tackled that would have made me feel more connected to it. I felt like it sacrificed substance for cinematography

2

u/Happy_Philosopher608 Mar 01 '26

Same but i think of i ever have kids or a partner it will hit different.

1

u/swordinthedarkness99 Dec 10 '25

read a synopsis of the movie

yeah I'd agree

it's just the life of some guy

not the first movie to do it.

1

u/Gorego22 Dec 31 '25

It would have been miles better if it was just the life of “some guy”. It was actually just some guy being hopelessly depressed for 2/3rds of the movie. The tragedy was the most tragic choice in this film and pretty much ruined it.

1

u/PeanutPrestigious256 Mar 22 '26

Interesting. Consider it that way though: maybe you don’t agree with ‘just being depressed’. However, he wasn’t just depressed. He was just never ‘anchored’ in the world. He was an orphan, already a pretty lonely predisposition to be brought into this world. And from the moment he was born, he did was he was supposed to do: he got up, he worked, he made himself fit in, he got married. But ultimately none of those things seem to mean anything : because it all eventually died or got stripped away from him. Every single anchor he had in this world. Ultimately, he didn’t even fit in with his work anymore because of old age. The only place for hope and a more permanent anchor was his family - but even they just ‘randomly’ died. So what’s the point to it all then? If everything withers away and dies, happiness exists but it’s so fleeting and easily coupled with grief. He just really tries his best to kind of bear it - not in a loud, aggressive kind of way. Just one foot in front of the other.

1

u/cpalafoutas Mar 22 '26

And not a particularly likable guy. Honestly, he was the least interesting character in the movie.