"The Straight Story"

The Straight Story (1999): 10/10

Poster (c) Walt Disney Pictures

There are some things you don’t expect from some people. You don’t expect a light, quick ‘n easy movie from Oliver Stone, nor do you expect something serious and dramatic from Wes Craven. That’s why most people would not believe you if you told them that The Straight Story was directed by David Lynch. That’s right, the person who brought you backwards talking dreams, fetus children, and midget cowboys connected to the mafia now has directed a small, quite story about a 73 year old man who travels 350 miles on a lawnmower to visit his brother, who has had a stroke.

At about a two-hour length and multiple shots of just Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) riding his mower across beautiful landscapes, it’s easy for people to complain that The Straight Story is boring and pointless. Yes, it doesn’t have a quick pace, but if you can put up with that, you’ll see that The Straight Story is one of the most refreshing and, so to speak, intoxicating movies of a long time. Alvin Straight is just one of the people you would love to get to know. It’s even great to know that there actually was an Alvin Straight in real life, and he’s a character that may not be perfect, but he’s one hell of a guy.

The cinematography is spectacular. Rightly done in a complete wide screen, it was simply beautiful. I’m not one to gush at landscapes, but…wow! It was spectacular. It’s hard to believe that there are still actual places like those still left in America. The camera perfectly captured the area that Alvin Straight drove through.

What really got to me was just how simple everything was, and instead of letting it all go to shame, it was actually presented simply. There was nothing that was unbelievable about it, and everything was done realistically. Alvin Straight had faults, no doubt, but all people do. There seems to be something almost cosmic about The Straight Story, something hard to explain. It’s flowing with some sort of rhythm, everything just comes together.

Farnsworth got an Oscar nomination, well deserved. He didn’t have to play someone mentally slow (as Sissy Spacek did in The Straight Story) or anything that’s usual Oscar grabbing material. He just played an average guy on a mission to perfection. Although Kevin Spacey won for his outstanding job in American Beauty, I think many actors could have done his role. Farnsworth is one of a kind in The Straight Story, just like the movie itself.

Rated G.

Review Date: November 26, 2003