International Cinema
Drama
Central Station (1998): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Central Station is a 1998 drama directed by Walter Salles, starring Fernanda Montenegro and Vinícius de Oliveira. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $6 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 5 nominations, among them 2 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.0/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Director
- Walter Salles
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Portuguese - Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Central Station About?
The premise of Central Station without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
At Rio de Janeiro's Central Station, a boy's life changes irrevocably after the loss of his mother. He unexpectedly connects with a solitary and reserved woman, and together they journey across Brazil to find his father, who lives in the country's expansive Northeast region. Along the way, they forge an unlikely bond and experience personal growth.
Central Station Themes & Keywords
· 48 tags- truck
- toilet
- teacher
- brazil
- train
- theft
- alcoholism
- bus
- country name in title
- train station
- retired
- spinning top
+36 more Show fewer
- hit by a bus
- child trafficking
- television set
- remote control
- photograph
- truck driver
- evangelical
- shoplifting
- table soccer
- lipstick
- pilgrimage
- road trip adventure
- chase
- scrivener
- deception
- profanity
- child
- surrogate mother
- bus station
- tragedy drama
- letter
- rio de janeiro brazil
- sertao
- realism
- railroad
- wine
- pistol
- long lost relative
- drunkenness
- beer
- absent father
- aging
- loss of mother
- illiteracy
- procession
- loneliness
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Cast & crew
Central Station Cast
Fernanda Montenegro leads the cast, with Vinícius de Oliveira. Directed by Walter Salles.
-
Director Walter Salles
From the director
More from Walter Salles
More films directed by Walter Salles, best-rated first: I'm Still Here, Behind the Sun, The Motorcycle Diaries and Jia Zhangke, A guy from Fenyang.
Ratings
Central Station Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Central Station 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 80 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.0/10.
-
IMDb 8.0 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 94% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 95%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 80 Metascore
User score 8.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 81% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Central Station Plot Summary
What happens in Central Station from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Dora is a retired schoolteacher who makes her living at Rio de Janeiro’s Central Station by writing letters for those unable to read or write. Life has left her feeling bitter and impatient, so much so that she sometimes stashes away or even destroys the letters she composes. Among her clientele is the mother of Josué, a needy 9-year-old boy with dreams of meeting his estranged father. Tragedy strikes when his mother dies in a bus accident, leaving Josué homeless, which ignites a sense of responsibility in Dora. She initially traffics him to a corrupt couple but is soon overwhelmed by guilt and reclaims him.
Full summary
The whole story of Central Station, scene by scene
Box office
Central Station Box Office
Central Station grossed $6 million worldwide. $6 million came from the US and Canada and $12,446 (0%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$6M
- US & Canada
- $6M
- International
- $12.4K
US & Canada 100%
Rest of the world 0%
Awards
Central Station Awards & Nominations
Central Station won 1 award from 5 nominations, among them 2 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Golden Globes 1999, with 1 win from 2 nominations.
1 win5 nominations3 ceremonies
-
Golden Globes 1999 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Foreign Language Film
- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Drama (Actress) – Fernanda Montenegro
-
Oscars 1999 2 nominations- Nominated Actress in a Leading Role – Fernanda Montenegro
- Nominated Foreign Language Film
-
Spirit Awards 1999 1 nomination- Nominated Best Foreign Film
Videos
Central Station Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Central Station.
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Central Station?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is Dora's profession before she meets Josué?
Cars
Cars in Central Station
16 cars on screen, including the 1986 Ford F-4000 and the 1981 Mercedes-Benz L 1113 L59.
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1986 Ford F-4000 Important role -
1981 Mercedes-Benz L 1113 L59 Important role -
1988 Scania K 112 CL Important role -
CAIO Amélia Minor role
Details
Central Station Also Known As
17 alternative titles, including “千年等一天” and “Estación central de Brasil”.
- Also known as
-
- 千年等一天
- Estación central de Brasil
- 중앙역
- 中央车站
- Dworzec nadziei
- Központi pályaudvar
- Merkez İstasyonu
- Центральный вокзал
- Централна гара Бразилия
- Κεντρικός σταθµός
- セントラル・ステーション
- 中央車站, ცენტრალური სადგური
+5 more Show fewer
- Hlavní nádraží
- Бразилія. Центральний вокзал
- Stația centrală
- תחנה מרכזית ברזיל
- สถานีแห่งศรัทธา
Seen Central Station?
More like this
Movies Like Central Station
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Last Stop 174, The Station Agent and Subway to the Stars.
-
Last Stop 174 2008 -
The Station Agent 2003 -
Subway to the Stars 1987 -
Rio, Northern Zone 1957 -
The Journey 1992 -
The Year My Parents Went on Vacation 2008 -
Streets of Rio 2008 -
Marcelo Zona Sul 1970 -
I Travel Because I Have to, I Come Back Because I Love You 2009 -
10 Centavos 2007 -
Hour of the Star 1985 -
South Central 1992
From the blog
Articles About Central Station
Our article about Central Station: “International Cinema: Exploring Films from Around the World”.
FAQ
Central Station FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Central Station, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Central Station?
Central Station runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was Central Station released?
Central Station was released on November 20, 1998.
Who directed Central Station?
Central Station was directed by Walter Salles.
More films by Walter Salles Who is in the cast of Central Station?
Central Station stars Fernanda Montenegro and Vinícius de Oliveira.
How much did Central Station make at the box office?
Central Station grossed $6 million worldwide ($6 million domestic, $12,446 international).
How is Central Station rated?
Central Station has 8.0/10 on IMDb, 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 on Metacritic and 81% on TMDB.
What awards did Central Station win?
Central Station won 1 award from 5 nominations, including Best Foreign Language Film at the Golden Globes 1999.
Does Central Station have a post-credit scene?
No. Central Station has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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