Friendship

The reviewer notes that The Station Agent (2003) is a film that delves deeply into the nature and development of friendship. Whereas many directors use heavy-handed techniques to develop psychological constructs, this film uses silence, subtle nuances, and nonverbal behavior to portray the life cycle of friendship–” how we make friends, how we become close, how we maintain friends, and how friendships deteriorate and dissolve” (Fehr, 1996, p. xiii). The film tells the story of three distinct characters and the natural unfolding of their unlikely friendship. The relationships in The Station Agent are communal ones in which individuals interact with one another out of a concern for each other rather than because they are planning for a specific outcome or hoping to receive something in return for their friendship. This film also analyzes the coping strategies people use to manage loneliness. The characters implement a variety of unhealthy coping strategies to manage the stress of isolation, including cigarettes, alcohol abuse, isolation, denial, and even suicide attempts. The reviewer concludes that The Station Agent depicts universal patterns: At different times, the film's characters reject one another's assistance despite tremendous needs, connect with one another, feel hurt and revert to old patterns of isolation, and reconcile with one another to experience healing and an even deeper sense of connection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)