The Straight Story
In between the dark, florid surrealism of the LA-set neonoirs Lost Hightway and Mulholland Dr., director David Lynch took a detour to America’s heartland for this surprisingly down-to-earth and heartfelt road movie—the film he described, paradoxically, as “my most experimental.”
Based on a true story, The Straight Story follows elderly World War II veteran Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) who, unable to operate a car, sets out on a six-week, 240-mile journey from Iowa to Wisconsin by lawn tractor to visit his ailing, estranged brother, a stubborn odyssey that puts a poignant twist on Lynch’s recurring explorations of the American character.