The Straight Story (1999)

An old man makes a long journey by lawn-mover tractor to mend his relationship with an ill brother.

Director:

David Lynch

Writers:

John Roach, Mary Sweeney

Stars:

Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 37 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sissy Spacek	...	Rose
Jane Galloway Heitz	...	Dorothy
Joseph A. Carpenter	...	Bud
Donald Wiegert	...	Sig
Richard Farnsworth	...	Alvin
Tracey Maloney	...	Nurse
Dan Flannery	...	Doctor Gibbons
Jennifer Edwards-Hughes	...	Brenda
Ed Grennan	...	Pete
Jack Walsh	...	Apple
Max the Wonder Dog	...	Farm Dog
Gil Pearson	...	Bus Driver
Barbara June Patterson	...	Woman on Bus
Everett McGill	...	Tom the John Deere Dealer
Anastasia Webb	...	Crystal

Storyline

"The Straight Story" chronicles a trip made by 73-year-old Alvin Straight from Laurens, Iowa, to Mt. Zion, Wis., in 1994 while riding a lawn mower. The man undertook his strange journey to mend his relationship with his ill, estranged, 75-year-old brother Lyle.

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Plot Keywords:

lawn mower | iowa | tractor | cane | wisconsin | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site (French) Polish official site

Country:

France UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 December 1999 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Straight Story

Filming Locations:

Clermont, Iowa, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$92,312 (USA) (15 October 1999)

Gross:

$6,197,866 (USA) (21 April 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Asymmetrical Productions, Canal+, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Farnsworth was the exact same age as Alvin Straight.

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Goofs

Alvin is shown crossing the Mississippi River at Lansing heading westward (into Iowa), instead of eastward into Wisconsin.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dorothy: Hi Rose.
Rose 'Rosie' Straight: Hi Dorothy.
Alvin Straight: [can be heard collapsing inside his house]

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Crazy Credits

Special thanks to the Alvin Straight family

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Connections

Referenced in E=mc2 (2002)

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Soundtracks

Happy Times
Written by Sidney Fine (as S. Fine)
Performed by Jo Stafford
Published by Warner Bros. Inc. (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under License from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Great story

This is not a movie for fans of the usual eerie Lynch stuff. Rather, it's for those who either appreciate a good story, or have grown tired of the run-of-the-mill stuff with overt sentimentalism and Oprah-ish "This is such a wonderful movie! You must see it!"-semantics (tho' she IS right, for once!).

The story unfolds flawlessly, and we are taken along a journey that, I believe, most of us will come to recognize at some time. A compassionate, existentialist journey where we make amends för our past when approaching ourt inevitable demise.

Acting is without faults, cinematography likewise (occasionally quite brilliant!), and the dialogue leaves out just enough for the viewer to grasp the details od the story.

A warm movie. Not excessively sentimental.