The Straight Story

David Lynch, France/UK/USA, 1999, 112 minutes

Cult indie filmmaker David Lynch's 1999 Golden Palm nominated feature is the offbeat tale of a man trying to make peace with his past. Richard Farnsworth (in his last cinematic role) plays Alvin Straight, who embarks on a journey across America with the intention of repairing his relationship with his estranged, and terminally ill brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton). It is a ponderous undertaking given that Alvin's transport is his tractor, and those expecting Lynch’s more traditional brand of creepy hi-jinks will be surprised at the gentle tale that unfolds. Filmed in sequence, the director intended the work to be seen as a single whole experience, to such an extent that the DVD release contained no scene selection or extra options. As such the film concentrates principally upon the physical and emotional journey of Farnsworth's character, as he passes advice to those he meets on his way drawn from his own considerable life experience. The actual event that gave cause to the separation between Alvin and Lyle is never clearly defined, yet this accentuates rather than undermines the drama of Alvin's plight.

Lynch maintains the simplicity of this tale and allows Farnsworth's layered performance to carry the film. With able support from Sissy Spacek and Stanton, this gentle epic is imbued with a warmth that you would not normally attribute to the director of Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway and Blue Velvet. Nevertheless Lynch does manner to eschew normal convention in certain respects, by producing a "Based on True Events" story that not only fails to irritate on any level, but manages to be heart-warming without resorting to crass, sensationalist melodrama. The result is an unassuming, plain-spoken ode to the value of family unity, embodied by the character of Alvin Straight himself.

Review by Ben 'Cheap Hack' Williamson
Written for EUFS Programme Spring 2004