Train Dreams

After I watched this movie, I had to take a few minutes to process what I just watched. And after that, I cried because it's just a really poignant, beautiful movie. Joel Edgerton was great at Robert Granier. I just felt for him so hard when he kept holding on to the idea that his wife and daughter survived the fire and would come back to him. Even though he spend the rest of his life in isolation, I truly feel that he wasn't really alone the entire time. He had his friend Ignatius Jack help him rebuild his cabin, he had a few dogs and puppies with him, and he had Gladys, who he was able to open up his trauma to. He William H. Macy was also my favorite in this movie, and I was crushed (no pun intended) when the tree branch fell on him and he eventually passed away from his injuries. The movie also just showed how quickly time was passing while Robert was focused on his wife and daughter to come home. It was just even a little jarring to get to the point where he was seeing John Glenn go into space, because even I didn't realize how much time had passed during the movie. Even though at the end Robert died alone and was probably forgotten, he still had a contribution to how society was progressing due to working on the railroads and help expand transportation throughout the US. I loved this movie and has really showed me to appreciate the things in life and to savor every moment. As the pilot says "You better hold on to something," we see that Robert held on to things monumental to his life. And it really taught me that life is really short and fragile, and that I need to make the most of it.