Why It's Good: For those of you familiar with the filmography of David Lynch may recognize what an odd-duck this is in his catalog. While it shares some similarities to his earlier film, The Elephant Man, The Straight Story seems to be a largely plain story not dealing in the surreal nature of human consciousness as Lynch likes to work with, but instead, is a simple inspiring tale about one man's journey to reconcile with his brother. While The Straight Story does not fit in well with Lynch's other films, it does allow us to see what the director's style looks like when he is not overly focused upon using the camera to distance the audience from reality. In fact, I would say a good deal of the power of this film comes from its attempts to relate directly to reality, having been based on a true story. Sots in the film often take on a long lingering effect, looking past the characters as they speak and also taking in the desolation of scenery of middle America. Lynch uses this greatly to make the main character, Alvin Straight, a rather philosophical soul and by shifting focus away from him in shots, allows him to become a narrator on the existential nature of the events transpiring. This is not to say the film does not focus upon the characters, as Lynch is very careful in putting them in the forefront of particular scenes to give the full weight of what is being spoken. I think a large part of the success comes from the decision to shoot the film in chronological order, a rarity among films, since you can feel the added weight in each character's dialogue and the fatigue seems to set upon the camera itself. The Straight Story follows Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth), an elderly WWII vet living in Laurens, Iowa with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek), when he suffers a fall one day. Upon being taken to the doctor he is told to give up alcohol and tobacco and to start using a walker,something Straight steadfastly refuses to do. He soon learns that his estranged brother Lyle has suffered a stroke and soon begins to formulate a plan to visit him Mt. Zion, Wisconsin. As Alvin cannot drive, he plans to use his lawnmower to travel the 200 mile distance. However, on his first attempt, the lawnmower breaks down forcing him to be towed back to town. Soon after, he buys a replacement mower from a salesman (Everett McGill) and sets about his way. Along the way he encounters a young female hitchhiker who stops at his camp after no one picks her up. After sharing a meal, Alvin deduces that she has run away from home because she is pregnant and tells the story of his daughter Rose, whose children were taken away from her due to her mental handicap making her unfit. He likens family to a bundle of sticks, something unbreakable when they tick together. The next day, the hitchhiker is gone, leaving behind only a bundle of sticks. He next comes across a group of bikers who pass him and cheer him upon his reaching of their camp and then tells them the plights of growing older. He then comes upon a distraught woman who has hit a deer and she tells him how she cannot seem to stop hitting deers. After she leaves, Alvin eat the deer, as he was running low on food. Not soon after, his mower begins to have engine troubles, as the breaks cut out on a massive hill, he is able to stop the mower, but seems to have stalled on his journey with the transmission apparently shot. This film should be so anachronistic, one of those saccharine journey movies that shows how someone grows as they travel and yet, it takes these trappings and manages to do something different from there. We've certainly all heard the bundle of sticks analogy before, but when Alvin tells the story it manages to carry a great deal more weight than it normally does. A large part of this comes from the performance of lead actor Richard Farnsworth, whose real life struggles with cancer mirrored the frailty of the character he was playing. Farnsworth manages to give Alvin a very amicable feel to him, one not unlike a kindly grandpa. Yet, for all this outward personality there is always this shifting towards a place where Alvin sheds his folksy wisdom to show just how lived in his life has been, how all the pain and character flaws he suffered from have lead him to the place he is at today. We see slips in this facade at times, but we mostly see it play out in the way he affects the lives of other characters, making them rethink their own trajectories and defects before they land in a situation like Alvin's where only a desperate attempt is possible. It really shouldn't work as well as it does, but the combination of directing, writing and acting makes for a very meditative film that shows the way in which redemption requires the willingness to learn from our faults. The Straight Story is an inspiring film, filled with small moments of brilliance and large moments made to challenge us to think about ourselves.
Key Scene: At one point, Alvin stops at a bar to have a beer and meets up with a fellow WWII vet. The two begin to discuss Alvin's service and as it goes on, Alvin begins to narrate a tale where in the confusion of battle he accidentally shot one of his fellow soldiers, something that continues to haunt him. The telling of the story is wonderful, slowly building the imagery and developing the fog of war in its totality. As Alvin meditates upon the misuse of youth, we see his face slip and especially see it in his compatriot. There is an aching shot of his companion sobbing and shaking terribly but not really able to allow himself to fully break down. It is a shocking performance and a well woven tale.
Where You Can Watch It: The Straight Story is available on DVD and is surprisingly, distributed by Disney. The whole movie is also up on YouTube in one of those 1/10 sort of deals, so you may consider that. Streaming: http://www.gsmovies.com/movie.php?id=3123
