Saagar Kote
Netflix’s ‘Train Dreams’ is the atmospheric tale of Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), who experiences difficult emotions of love and loss while working to build railroads in early twentieth-century America. He goes through the trials and tribulations of marital life with his wife, Gladys Grainier (Felicity Jones), with whom he shares a complex relationship. As the world around him seems to change rapidly, his inner turmoil takes interesting twists and turns. In his journey, he also crosses paths with another woman named Claire Thompson (Kerry Condon) and has philosophical debates with an older man named Arn Peeples (William H. Macy).
The woods of the Pacific Northwest give way to moral complexities and ignite conversations about destroying the old world to build a new one. Robert’s life is filled with existential questions, even as he hopes to be a family man, while also maintaining his authenticity as a worker for the country. Directed by Clint Bentley and based on the eponymous novella by Denis Johnson, Netflix’s historical drama film is a layered and poignant take on life. These films, similar to ‘Train Dreams,’ will transport you to worlds of natural beauty, philosophical conundrums, and unique characters.
12. The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)
Directed by Rebecca Miller, ‘The Ballad of Jack and Rose’ chronicles the life of Jack Slavin (Daniel Day-Lewis), an environmentalist living with his teenage daughter Rose (Camilla Belle), who has deliberately sheltered her from the world. They live in an isolated commune, away from the troubles of others. However, as the daughter hits puberty, it leads to a conflicting scenario for the father. When Jack invites his girlfriend Kathleen (Catherine Keener) and her sons, Rodney (Ryan McDonald) and Thaddius (Paul Dano), to move in, it causes Rose to feel betrayed. This leaves the relationship in a chaotic condition, with seemingly no escape. The drama film, akin to ‘Train Dreams,’ is a poignant navigation of familial bonds in isolated settings, where the visuals and atmospherics play significant roles.
11. The Claim (2000)
‘The Claim’ is the story of a man named Daniel Dillon (Peter Mullan), whose greed leads him to trade his wife Elena and newborn daughter Hope for gold. He establishes a thriving mining town during the California Gold Rush. What seems like a profit for him initially becomes a source of conflict two decades later, when his estranged wife and daughter unexpectedly arrive during the survey for a new railroad project in the town of Kingdom Come. The Western romance film, directed by Michael Winterbottom, centers on the protagonist as he attempts to resolve his crisis. Loosely based on Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘The Mayor of Casterbridge,’ it resembles ‘Train Dreams’ due to its portrayal of rough terrains, rural American settings, familial bonds, and survival.
10. Wildlife (2018)
Based on the eponymous novel by Richard Ford, ‘Wildlife’ is a portrayal of a family’s disintegration, seen through the eyes of teenager Joe Brinson (Ed Oxenbould). He watches as his parents, Jerry Brinson (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Jeanette Brinson (Carey Mulligan), experience marital issues after the former’s job loss. This leads the boy on a difficult adventure, where he must learn to overcome his angst and liberate himself from pain. Set in Montana in the fall of 1960, the drama film directed by Paul Dano navigates harsh landscapes, difficult familial bonds, and the meaning of life, much like ‘Train Dreams.’
9. The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005)
Helmed by Tommy Lee Jones, ‘The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada’ follows the accidental murder of Melquiades Estrada (Julio Cedillo) near the US-Mexico border in Texas by border patrolman Mike Norton (Barry Pepper). The victim’s friend, Pete Perkins (Tommy Lee Jones), tries to claim the body to fulfill a promise to bury him in Jimenez, Mexico. As the cops strive to find the killer, Pete finds out the truth and kidnaps Mike, forcing him to exhume the body and transport it to Melquiades’s family in Mexico, revealing the sad reality of hopeless Mexicans near the border during their journey. Inspired by William Faulkner’s novel ‘As I Lay Dying’ and real-life incidents, the neo-Western film shares similarities with ‘Train Dreams’ due to its portrayal of grief, justice, and the idea of family. Both stories use similar landscapes to enhance the visual experience.
8. The Revenant (2015)
Partly based on Michael Punke’s eponymous novel, ‘The Revenant,’ directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, is the tale of a fur trapper named Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio). The epic Western action drama film depicts a harsh journey undertaken by the protagonist as he accompanies a party of hunters. When he is viciously attacked and injured by a bear, he is left for dead by the hunters. Isolated from the world, he must use his unique survival skills to brave the cold and live, to seek revenge against those who abandoned him. The elements of bravery, family, wilderness, and survival connect the movie to ‘Train Dreams’ and its characters.
7. Legends of the Fall (1994)
‘Legends of the Fall’ depicts the experiences of Colonel William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins), who raises his three sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Samuel (Henry Thomas), and Alfred (Aidan Quinn), in Montana in the early 1900s. Due to their social isolation, the sons stay loyal to each other. However, things get complicated when Alfred develops feelings for Samuel’s fiancée, Susannah. This ultimately leads to doubt and fragmentation in the relationships between the brothers. Based on Jim Harrison’s novella of the same name, the epic Western drama film, directed by Edward Zwick, is a poignant navigation of family. Like ‘Train Dreams,’ it tests the resolve of characters when difficult familial situations arise, with wild terrains in the background.
6. The Power of the Dog (2021)
Netflix’s ‘The Power of the Dog,’ a Western psychological drama film, narrates the story of an established and feared rancher named Phil Burbank (Benedict Cumberbatch). He leads a life of secrecy and arrogance, which gets tougher when his brother George (Jesse Plemons) marries Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst), a single mother. However, the protagonist develops a complex emotional dynamic with Rose’s son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who may be hiding secrets of his own. Based on Thomas Savage’s eponymous novel and helmed by Jane Campion, the movie shares similarities with ‘Train Dreams’ as it explores the intimate details of familial bonds, while also shedding light on harsh economic and social truths.
5. Winter’s Bone (2010)
Directed by Debra Granik, ‘Winter’s Bone’ chronicles the struggles of a teenager named Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), who lives in the Ozarks. Her father abandons her and her younger siblings, which puts her in a position of responsibility. With the ownership of her home in doubt, and her sick mother in danger, she must push beyond her limits to somehow track and locate her father before it is too late. Based on Daniel Woodrell’s eponymous novel, the drama film shares a poignant connection with ‘Train Dreams’ due to its depiction of rural life, abandonment, and isolation in harsh landscapes.
4. Matewan (1987)
In ‘Matewan,’ set in 1920s West Virginia, a labor union organizer named Joe Kenehan (Chris Cooper) arrives in Mingo County to rally coal miners, struggling to form a union against the violent opposition of the mining company and the Baldwin-Felts detective agency. However, the situation is volatile, and there seems to be no easy solutions available. He desperately attempts to unite striking local miners with African-American and Italian miners brought in by the company to break the strike. The drama film directed by John Sayles complements the world of ‘Train Dreams’ as it features commentary on the working class and the economy in America. The stories are told from the perspectives of ordinary individuals working for powerful entities.
3. The Homesman (2014)
In ‘The Homesman,’ Mary Bee Cuddy (Hilary Swank) undertakes a perilous and long journey with a mysterious drifter named George Briggs (Tommy Lee Jones). The two of them have to transport three women with “prairie madness” to a church in Hebron, Iowa. Set in 1854 Nebraska, the story follows the difficult journey of the characters as they struggle to make it to their destination, while also discovering truths about each other. Directed by Tommy Lee Jones, the Western historical drama film, based on Glendon Swarthout’s eponymous novel, is a haunting tale of complexities. Due to its grounded portrayal of terrain journeys, nuanced characters, rural lives, and social issues, it is spiritually connected to the world of ‘Train Dreams’ and its characters.
2. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Based on Ron Hansen’s novel of the same name, ‘The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford’ is the wild story of two men. It chronicles the final months of outlaw Jesse James’ life during the 1880s in Missouri. Initially, an ardent follower of outlaw Jesse James, he develops a layer of animosity, leading to a fateful encounter. The revisionist Western drama film navigates important moments in the lives of the two men, as they converge around a difficult fate. Their exploits, suspicions, and personalities are discovered poignantly in the movie directed by Andrew Dominik. On the lines of ‘Train Dreams,’ it deals with isolated characters in rough terrains. The elements of grief and struggle are important elements in the stories that connect the two films on a spiritual level.
1. Days of Heaven (1978)
‘Days of Heaven,’ directed by Terrence Malick, follows the life of Bill (Richard Gere), who, in 1916, leaves Chicago with his girlfriend, Abby (Brooke Adams), and young sister Linda (Linda Manz), after a mill dispute. Bill and Abby pose as siblings to find social acceptance in a Texas wheat farm, where they all go looking for work. The rich owner of the farm, despite his bad health, becomes infatuated with Abby and proposes marriage. Bill, seeing an opportunity for wealth, convinces Abby to accept, believing the farmer will soon die.
However, the lie forged by the couple may haunt them in unexpected ways, even as they build a life for themselves. The romantic period drama film, akin to ‘Train Dreams,’ is a visually powerful narrative that captures the essence of family and relationships through socioeconomic commentary on rural America. The atmospherics and the motivations of the characters also connect the stories in unique ways.
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