While stretching credibility to the breaking point, 'Rails and Ties' still manages to be worthwhile due to its raw intensity and honesty in exploring mortality which can make us see how precious the little things in life really are.(At least, it does not put train travel into the mortality equation.) And excellent performances from Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden certainly help. Meanwhile, David runs away from his foster mother(Margo Martindale). When he gets home, Megan shows interest in learning how to play the piano and visiting San Francisco, one of the stops on his route(more or less). After the crash, Tom is suspended, pending a hearing and investigation. Luckily, her 11-year old son David(Miles Heizer) escapes unscathed before the car is totaled, killing his mother. Tom goes by the book and slows down, not hitting the emergency brake which could cause a derailment. But that decision is taken out of his hands when Laura(Bonnie Root) drives her car onto the tracks in front of his train.

He refuses, trying to bury himself in his work. For breast cancer, for example, early detection and screening save lives. In 'Rails and Ties,' Tom(Kevin Bacon), a train engineer, is advised to take some time off to care for his wife Megan(Marcia Gay Harden) who is dying of breast cancer. 3 PANEL OF WITNESSES Marcia Gay Harden, Academy Award-Winning Actress and.