Warning! Spoilers ahead for Netflix’s Train Dreams movie.Netflix‘s Train Dreams is filled with moments that can have a few different meanings, but although certain scenes can be interpreted pretty generously, it’s impossible to put a positive spin on one moment in particular. The journey of Joel Edgerton‘s Robert Grainier ultimately turns out to be one of grief and guilt, but there are moments in the movie when he’s as content as he could hope to be. When he loses everything, purely happy moments are pretty hard to come by for Train Dreams‘ tortured protagonist.
First published in 2011, Denis Johnson’s Train Dreams novella is the source material for the heartfelt Netflix adaptation. Set in the early 20th century, both the movie and the book follow the shift from one era of American history to another, providing an authentic backdrop for Robert’s emotional arc to unfold. Both versions of the story understandably share several key moments, but one in particular is especially vital to understanding Robert’s state of mind. It happens near the end of Train Dreams, and no clear answer is given about what the scene actually means.
Kate’s “Return” in ‘Train Dreams’ Explained
Was That Really Robert Grainier’s Daughter?
About 45 minutes into Train Dreams, Robert leaves home to embark on one last out-of-town work trip, with the intention of returning and starting a family farm with his wife and infant daughter. Sadly, when the movie hits the 60-minute mark, Robert steps off the train and is greeted by a forest fire sweeping through his hometown. After searching for his family, he doesn’t find them. The trauma of their loss, combined with the slim hope that they escaped, shapes Robert’s mindset throughout the rest of the film.
Five minutes before Train Dreams‘ 90-minute mark, there’s a scene set years after Robert’s heartbreaking homecoming where he has a pivotal encounter. A young girl (Zoe Rose Short), whom Robert immediately recognizes as his daughter, Kate, finds her way to his cabin and passes out outside. The scene initially makes it seem more likely than not that Edgerton’s character is correct. He tends to her injuries and falls asleep while watching over her. It’s only in the morning, when the only sign of her visit is an open window, that Train Dreams starts to imply that Kate was never there at all.
Robert searches the surrounding area for the girl he believes is his daughter, a character referred to as a “wolf girl” in the novella. Sadly, the story’s main character never has another encounter with the mysterious child, in either iteration of Train Dreams. It’s up to the viewers/audience to decide whether Robert had just had an unlikely reunion or whether there was another explanation for his encounter with “Kate.” The harsh truth is that no interpretation favors Robert.
Possibility #1: The Entire Sequence Was Only in Robert’s Mind
Robert’s encounter with the mysterious child in the movie comes just after he connects with Kerry Condon’s Claire Thompson, with Train Dreams softly implying that Claire could be an unexpected love interest for Edgerton’s character. When Robert returns home, presumably later that evening, that’s when he hears something outside and finds “Kate.” In the morning, her vanishing act leaves behind no trace other than the aforementioned open window. If Kate had really returned to seek out her father in a time of need, it raises questions about how she found him, where her mother was, and why she left so suddenly without ever coming back. None of it really adds up.
Assuming for a second that it was all just a hallucination, it’s depressing for two reasons. Firstly, it would mean the simplest theory was still true, namely that Kate had been lost in the fire years earlier. Secondly, the timing of the hallucination suggests it was a subconscious reflex from Robert’s mind.
Several moments in Train Dreams quietly prove that Robert doesn’t feel like he deserves to move on with his life after failing to save or find his family. So, it’s not unreasonable to assume that Robert’s mind spat out Kate’s spectral form to cruelly renew his hope that his daughter was still out there somewhere. The larger impact of this is that he abandons any path that would have brought him closer to Claire. Instead, he continues to wait out the rest of his life alone, clinging to the hope brought about by what he believes he witnessed.
Possibility #2: Robert’s Encounter With the “Wolf Girl” Actually Happened
It’s certainly a possibility that Robert’s experience with the girl toward the end of Train Dreams was real, and that it wasn’t a hallucination. Perhaps the biggest piece of evidence for this is the fact that she had what appeared to be a fairly serious leg injury. If Robert had been imagining his daughter, it wouldn’t make sense for him to want her harmed. That said, there’s no guarantee it was even Kate. It could have just been a feral or lost child who ended up at Robert’s cabin by chance. This would explain why she fled when she regained consciousness. If this is the case, it’s not really any less damaging to Robert’s mindset than if it hadn’t happened at all, except maybe the fact that it meant he wasn’t hallucinating.
Alternatively, maybe that was Kate after all, but even this possibility doesn’t offer much in Robert’s favor. All it means is that Robert had spent years unnecessarily mourning her loss. Plus, if the scene were exactly as Edgerton’s character perceived it, and the encounter actually reunited him with his daughter, then that reunion would be upsettingly brief. It also opens up the conversation about where Kate had been for all those years and whether Gladys also escaped the blaze and simply chose not to return. The latter, especially considering how in love Robert and Gladys were, is unlikely. Still, it must be considered if Kate managed to work her way back into Train Dreams‘ storyline. Train Dreams is available to stream on Netflix.
- Release Date
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November 7, 2025
- Runtime
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102 minutes
- Director
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Clint Bentley
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