Movie Review: The Straight Story (1999)

The Straight Story (1999)

Asymmetrical Productions, Canal+, Channel Four Films, CiBy 2000, Les Films Alain Sarde, StudioCanal, The Picture Factory, The Straight Story Inc., Walt Disney Pictures,  France, UK, USA, 1999.

The movie is based on the true story of Alvin Straight's 1994 journey across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alvin Straight's (Richard Farnsworth) friend Bud (Joseph A. Carpenter) and neighbour Dorothy (Jane Galloway Heitz) find him lying on the kitchen floor. Bud and Alvin's slow daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek) take him to see the doctor. Doctor says that he should start using a walker.

Alvin and Rose

Alvin's brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) suffers a stroke. Once the brothers were close but they are estranged now. Alvin wants to visit Lyle but he is unable to drive a car. He attaches a trailer to his lawn mover, loads it with sausages and gasoline and sets on the road. First attempt fails as several hundred mile trip is too much for the ancient lawn mower so he must return and buy a newer one from tractor dealer Tom (Everett McGill). On the road he meets young hitchhiker girl (Anastasia Webb), group of bicyclists, deer woman (Barbara E. Robertson) and many more. During the trip Alvin thinks back his past life and mistakes sometimes giving life advice to younger folks.

Alvin begins his journey

This is a different kind of film in David Lynch's resume. No weird hallucinations or twisted psychos but calm and warm-hearted road trip across beautiful American countryside. Still Lynch includes just enough weirdness to make it identifiable as a Lynch movie. Beneath the surface of simple looking story are hidden deep thoughts about life and getting old. On the background plays Angelo Badalamenti's gentle folk music. It is tragic to learn Richard Farnsworth had bone cancer during the shooting of the film and committed suicide year later.

Part of The 2016 Movie Watching Challenge (#4. Travel story) 

Rating: Excellent

Starring: Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz, Joseph A. Carpenter, Donald Wiegert, Richard Farnsworth, Tracey Maloney, Dan Flannery, Jennifer Edwards-Hughes, Ed Grennan, Jack Walsh, Max the Wonder Dog, Gil Pearson, Barbara June Patterson, Everett McGill, Anastasia Webb, Matt Guidry , Bill McCallum, Barbara E. Robertson, James Cada, Sally Wingert, Barbara Kingsley, Jim Haun, Wiley Harker, Randy Wiedenhoff, Jerry E. Anderson, Kevin P. Farley, John Farley, John Lordan, Garrett Sweeney, Peter Sweeney, Tommy Fahey, Matt Fahey, Dan Fahey, Russ Reed, Leroy Swadley, Ralph Feldhacker, Harry Dean Stanton, Stephen Cinabro, Gary D'Amico, George A. Farr, Jeremy Kent Jackson, Lana Schwab
Director: David Lynch