"End of the Line" is a worthwhile movie for all reasons other reviewers have noted. However, the objection is made that a railroad could not be restructured as an air freight business, and so the plot supposedly has a gaping hole. This misses the point. Due to the special situation in the US, railroads have been losing freight contracts to the trucking industry for years, and small towns are most affected, just as illustrated in the film. Therefore, it would be reasonable for Southland to liquidate unprofitable rail holdings and invest their capital in air freight, which carries a different class of goods and is more profitable. A few shots of semi-trailers pulling into Clifford at the beginning of the film might have made the point, but in restructuring the business one doesn't expect air freight terminals to be located in such small Arkansas towns anyway.
Although it is hard to believe these two fellows would have been able to steal the train under ordinary circumstances, remember that the acting president found out about this and wanted to co-opt the situation for advertising purposes, and so there was a degree of complicity. Perhaps enough for it to come off.
The film is quite pointed about the lack of compassion of capital for the workers, but this is done in an amusing light-hearted way. And the solution for the future of these workers, in spite of the feel-good ending, is left realistically ambiguous.
Go ahead and enjoy this good-natured and well-acted film.
Although it is hard to believe these two fellows would have been able to steal the train under ordinary circumstances, remember that the acting president found out about this and wanted to co-opt the situation for advertising purposes, and so there was a degree of complicity. Perhaps enough for it to come off.
The film is quite pointed about the lack of compassion of capital for the workers, but this is done in an amusing light-hearted way. And the solution for the future of these workers, in spite of the feel-good ending, is left realistically ambiguous.
Go ahead and enjoy this good-natured and well-acted film.