My wife and I just watched an award-winning independent film, The Keeping Hour, which was released last year, and were surprised to find that contemporary Lionel trains appear at several points in the film. The movie is actually a very intense drama, and although at moments it's scary, it's a serious exploration of forgiveness in the wake of tragedy. Unlike in many films where toy trains appear, the trains seem to function less simply as props of toys, but as symbols of some of the deep issues that the characters in the movie are facing.
We found the movie online on the Hallmark channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JbVW1kr5Dk. Lionel trains appears at approximately 49:17, 1:13:01, 1:17:38, and 1:25:03.
