Is Train Dreams Based on a True Story?

Directed by Clint Bentley, Netflix’s ‘Train Dreams’ follows the story of a man named Robert Grainier as he tries to find a place in the world. Unfolding over the course of several decades, the period drama film gives an insight into the protagonist’s struggles as he builds a family and tries to provide for it by working as a railroad worker and a logger. In its simplicity, a moving portrait of an ordinary man emerges. By focusing on the intimate moments of Robert’s life, the filmmakers present the audience with a tale that may be set in a different time, but is reflective of a profoundly human experience, making it all the more real. SPOILERS AHEAD.

The Fictional Train Dreams Has Deep Emotional Resonance

‘Train Dreams’ is based on the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson. It is an entirely fictional story concocted by the author, who is known to have explored the lives of everyday characters through a dark and gritty lens. The character of Robert Grainier follows the author’s pattern of choosing protagonists who are misfits or outcasts, trying to carve out a place for themselves in a world that doesn’t entirely feel theirs. Robert carries this feeling of disconnection from the world throughout his entire life, which becomes the core of the story and is reflected in every frame of the film, underscoring his detachment and loneliness.

Clint Bentley adapted the book for the screen with his frequent collaborator Greg Kwedar. In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the director revealed that while bringing Robert’s story from book to screen, he thought about people from his grandfather’s generation who “didn’t even have the words to say even when they were happy, much less when they were going through grief. And yet they felt big things.” He wanted to delve into the life of an ordinary man who isn’t otherwise discussed in the grander context of history, yet remains an integral part of it because he has lived through the whole thing. He wanted to “celebrate a life, even in just a quiet way.”

The project also became more personal for Bentley because it coincided with an emotionally turbulent time for him. He revealed that he had been reeling from a significant loss, and around the same time, he and his wife welcomed their first child. He described it as a time of “conflicting emotions— grief and joy, birth and death,” which seemed deeply relevant to his work on the film. When actor Joel Edgerton was brought on board as the lead star, he also connected with the story in his own personal way. He had been a fan of the book for a few years before the opportunity of becoming a part of the film adaptation came his way. He found a deep connection with Robert Grainier, especially in the context of being a husband and a father. With the film, he saw an opportunity to do something very personal, unlike the other projects he has worked on.

A Realistic Approach Made Train Dreams More Impactful

One of the core themes of ‘Train Dreams’ is nature and the protagonist’s connection with it, which is why the filmmakers knew they needed to film on location to create a realistic image for Robert. In the novel, the story takes place in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, where Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar went to understand the place that Robert would choose to build a home with his wife, Gladys. They hired a naturalist to gain a deeper understanding of the forest and the trees, which become characters in their own right in the story. Because Robert works as a logger, the writers also spent time with loggers and visited logging camps to understand the dynamics between people, as well as their individual mindsets.

The first half of the story focuses on Robert’s work, so the filmmakers took the project to real logging sites. They collaborated with Washington State University on its general forest management, which allowed them to film the felling of trees and the logging process. Robert’s house is another cornerstone location for the movie, so they built a log cabin from scratch by the riverbank, which allowed them to present a more raw and intimate portrait of the protagonist’s life. At the end of the day, Bentley said that, through Robert’s story, he wanted to present different contradictions of life. He sees “dreams, memories, people” as a way for humans to hold on to the good things in their lives, and ‘Train Dreams’ is his “way of honouring that.” Joel Edgerton felt that the nature of Robert’s story gives the audience something to connect to. The everydayness of the story and the character provides the audience with something to “ruminate on their own life,” despite its fictional nature.

Read More: Where Was Train Dreams Filmed? All Shooting Locations