Joel Edgerton and Clint Bentley on the making of Train Dreams, a quiet western about loss and legacy

Joel Edgerton and Clint Bentley discuss the challenges and rewards of bringing Denis Johnson’s novella Train Dreams to the screen. The film tells the story of Robert Grainier, a stoic lumberjack in early 20th-century Idaho whose life is shaped by loss, isolation, and the relentless march of progress. Edgerton and Bentley describe the difficulty of pitching a film that eschews traditional heroics and embraces spiritual, supernatural elements, often facing skepticism from studio executives. The movie’s slow, earthbound pace and emotional depth reflect both the source material and the filmmakers’ own experiences with family separation and the transient nature of creative work. Edgerton draws parallels between his character’s life and his own struggles as a father and actor, while Bentley reflects on his father’s life as a journeyman jockey and how that influenced his approach to directing. Both emphasize the importance of communication between directors and actors, lamenting the trend in Hollywood where directors sometimes hesitate to guide performers. The film has received critical acclaim and is considered a potential Oscar contender, praised for its authenticity and emotional resonance. Edgerton and Bentley also reflect on the impermanence of human achievements, including art, and express hope that audiences will continue to value human-made stories in an age of digital creation.