Train Dreams: Best Picture Dark Horse for Oscars?

In an awards season crowded with spectacles, sequels and star-driven vehicles, the quiet power of “ Train Dreams ” may be its greatest strength.

Clint Bentley’s moving adaptation of Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize finalist novella has steadily emerged as one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year — and a potential dark horse best picture contender. After a rousing premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was acquired by Netflix, the film went on to make a strong showing at the New York, Mill Valley and most recently Middleburg film festivals, earning raves and deepening its resonance with every screening. In discussions with festival attendees and critics, it’s been striking how many cinephiles have shared their affection for the film.

Now sitting at an im