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Starring Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Harry Dean Stanton, Everett McGill.
Written by Mary Sweeney and John Roach. Directed by David Lynch.
Alvin Straight lives in small-town Laurens, Iowa. He's 73 years old, unable to see well enough to drive, and after falling in his own home, he needs two canes to move around. The doctor told him he's not in good shape - he smokes too many cigars, and his breathing is laboured. He has little money - just his social security - and he has a stubborn streak a mile long. He lives with his daughter Rose (Spacek), a little slow, but devoted to taking care of her father and making bird houses she sells to the local hardware store. One evening, Rose gets a call from her cousin. Alvin's only brother Lyle has had a serious stroke. They haven't seen or spoken to each other over 10 years. After a few days, Alvin decides he has to go and see Lyle. The problem is Lyle lives in Mount Zion, Wisconsin, 350 miles from Laurens. When Rose and others tell Alvin he should take a bus, or drive there with someone, he tells Rose "I've gotta make this trip on my own. I know you understand." With no car, he gets an old lawnmower that barely goes, and fixes it and an old trailer until they're (sort of) roadworthy. With a refurbished 20-year-old John Deere, he sets out, taking the winding and picturesque road at a robust 5 mph, nightly pulling off to the side of the road, toasting weenies by the fire, and sleeping inside his trailer. Along his five week plus trek, he meets many different people, including a pregnant runaway, a fellow war veteran remembering lost friends, a lady who habitually wrecks her car hitting deer, bickering mechanics fighting more than fixing Alvin's mower and a small-church minister. Eventually he crosses the Mississippi into Wisconsin, and makes his way to Lyle's little shack, hoping to find him there. Forsaking his usual irony and black humour from his highly regarded past work such as Blue Velvet and (early) Twin Peaks, director Lynch takes a 180 degree turn. The Straight Story is told as the title suggests - straight up, without gimmicks or edge. There are a few Lynchian moments (and they often aren't the best parts), such as a lady runnning into a deer while passing Alvin, who goes into a tirade about how many deer she's hit on the same stretch of road. It is wholesome in the good sense of the word - not sappy or manipulative, but wise and reflective. It's a story of a flawed but decent man, who lives by his own unrushed rhythms, who has seen the good and the bad of the past century, and can offer a wisdom taken from experience and personal mistakes made. Lynch adopts a very leisurely pace, allowing the actors time to deliver their lines as their characters reflect, and time for silence. One of the most outstanding scenes involves Alvin and a townsperson he met while his mower was being fixed. Sitting at a bar, they remember the friends that died, and the guilt they felt for surviving while their friends didn't. Alvin recalls how he accidently shot one of his own scouts who was scurrying through the muddy field to get back to their line, and the remorse he felt even though it was totally accidental. The cinematography is fantastic. Sweeping shots of sunny grain fields, beautiful sunsets and trees in full autumn bloom are generously inserted throughout, adding to the natural feel of the film. The music by long-time Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti alternates between atmospheric like that from Twin Peaks, and folky, country-flavoured background, and greatly adds to the film's ambience. Performances are strong, and not flashy. The strongest, and worthy of an Oscar nomination, is that of Richard Farnsworth. He perfectly embodies the grizzled loner full of stubborn pride, unwilling to take anyone's help. He's told he can't do it, and shouldn't do it. But he does what he thinks is right, deciding the effort and the gesture made is the best way to show Lyle he is sorry. Spacek is equally as good, bringing dignity to the woman who has also had her share of life's disappointments, but loyally supports her father even when she's not sure about what he's doing. The supporting cast is consistently interesting, including the very brief appearance by Harry Dean Stanton as Lyle. With Farnsworth, and with virtually no words spoken, they convey their regret for the lost years they let go by, that no spat is really worth depriving each other of a lifelong friend and family member. The film is favourably comparable to Fly Away Home, both in its relaxed pace, its beautiful photography and its theme of repairing damaged relationships. The Straight Story is one of the best movies of the year, and perfect for someone wanting to see something good-hearted and thoughtful.   
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