The Straight Story (1999)

 

David Lynch is a director who has a typical flair and style, yet he is able to pull off some pretty different things. Sure, we're used to his work being on the bizarre and otherworldly like 'Lost Highway', 'Blue Velvet' or of course 'Twin Peaks', but in films like 'The Elephant Man' he showed the world that he could do something wholly different. 

And then we got 'The Straight Story'. 

This is based on a true event, by the way.

Alvin Straight is an old man who lives with his mentally challenged daughter and who really has problems. His hips are shot, his eyesight is horrible and the doctor tells him he's got emphysema from years and years of smoking. Yet, when he gets word that his brother Lyle has had a stroke, he wants to visit him. This is all the more poignant as they haven't spoken in ten years due to some argument. But Alvin can't drive a car and he won't take public transportation, so what to do?

Well, he builds a trailer of sorts and then proceeds to drive to his brother with a lawnmower. 

Yes, really.

What makes it all the more impressive, is the fact that he has to cross about 500 kilometres to get there. Along the way, he has some encounters that fill this film and give us as viewers some perspective on life, even though it is never preachy, not in the least. 

So, yes, this is quite literally a 'straight' story, as everything is enormously linear and the film progresses at a snail's pace, in keeping with the speed of a lawnmower. Yet, it is never boring. Yes, you get quite a lot of shots of giant mowers cutting the grain and corn, but the interactions Alvin has along the way break up the driving scenes nicely, and every encounter offers something new. There's the young girl who ran away from home because she's pregnant, the cyclists, the lady in the car and when his mower breaks down, Alvin stays a little longer with a family that want to genuinely help him. 

See, this is also a side of the US you don't get to see that often: that there are also friendly people that want to help. You might forget that because of the news at times, but yes, those people also exist. 

There is definitely one scene that could have come straight out of 'Twin Peaks', though. It's the lady that hits a deer and then completely goes bananas, followed by Alvin roasting some venison whilst surrounded by gipsum statues of deer. It's a bit weird and feels slightly out of place, but it is also funny as hell. 

The actors are all excellent. Sissy Spacek as Alvin's daughter does a wonderful job and once you get to know her backstory, it will make you want to cry. Yes, it is that realistic and harsh. 

But of course, Richard Farnsworth as Alvin is our focal point and he is utterly believable as Alvin, a man whose health is failing, but who is also stubborn and resilient. You can tell he put his heart into this, as his performance is truly gripping. He is likable, but also not without his flaws, something the film also acknowledges on several occasions. 

By far the best and most tear-inducing scene is the one where Alvin and another elderly man sit at a bar and they tell stories about their time during World War II. This is so emotionally heavy, just be prepared to grab the handkerchiefs. It feels as if they are speaking from memory instead of scripted lines, which makes it all the more compelling. 

Yes, this is a slow paced film without any tricks or fancy takes. It is an honest story, great in its simplicity and captivating in its telling. Please watch it, it's one of those special films that just gets better with every viewing.