The Straight Story (1999)

An old man makes a long journey by lawnmower 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 16 wins & 39 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:

road trip | lawn mower | iowa | elderly protagonist | road movie | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

France UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 November 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

The Straight Story

Filming Locations:

Clermont, Iowa, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$92,312, 17 October 1999

Gross USA:

$6,203,044

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$6,416,325

Company Credits

Production Co:

Asymmetrical Productions, Canal+, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Farnsworth was going to turn down the film because he didn't like the language in Blue Velvet (1986). Only several personal assurances by David Lynch and the other writers that the film would contain no cursing did he agree to do it.

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Goofs

While driving through West Bend, Iowa, Alvin is seen driving past the Grotto of the Redemption from right to left. This would be north to south, or following the jog in the highway, traveling east to west.

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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 Veep: The Eagle (2016)

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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

A Shockingly-Straight Story From David Lynch

"A truly nice story with a moral about brotherly love" describes this odd David Lynch film. This was especially "odd" because it wasn't the kind of film Lynch had been putting out in the last 15 -20 years. Those were dark and shocking films (Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart, Mulholland Drive) and this is the opposite. I know it disappointed a lot of his fans. Others were delighted by it. Count me as one of the latter, and I own all three of those "dark" films, too.

This was another supposed-true life story, here detailing an elderly man's trip in a seated lawnmower from western Iowa all the way to Wisconsin to see his ailing brother who he hasn't talked to in years but wants to see before the latter dies. Well, I guess that premise - an old man driving a lawn mower 400 miles - still makes this an "odd" film of sorts, so Lynch stays in character with that!

Richard Farnsworth plays the title role. He is the type of guy, face-wise, voice-wise, low-key personality-wise, that just about everyone likes. The wrinkles on his face tell many a story. It was so sad to hear what happened to him in real life a year after this film was released.

The first 25 minutes of this film isn't much, and not always pleasant as it shows the main character's adult and mentally-challenged child (Sissy Spacek) and her tragic past, but once Alvin Straight (Farnsworth) begins his trip, the story picks up. I played this for several friends and they thought the film NEVER picked up, but I am more generous with it. I think it's a hidden gem. To them, it was a sleeping pill.

I found his trip pretty fascinating but you have to realize in advance this is NOT going to be a suspenseful Lynch crime story. It IS slow and if that's okay with you, you might like this. Charm enters the picture in some of people Alvin meets along the way, such as a wayward young girl running away and some nice town folks who help the old man out when he gets in trouble. (Henry Cada as "Daniel Riordan, is a standout in that regard.) Harry Dean Stanton gets third billing, but that's a joke: he's only in the final few minutes of the movie!

The Iowa scenery is pleasant. I lived there for several years and can attest to the rolling hills and the rich soil. It's a nice state with nice people....like this movie.