User Reviews

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

The Straight Story is a beautifully made film, filled with wonderful characters who eloquently reveal Lynch’s inner feelings of love and compassion for humanity. It’s also one of the best films David Lynch made. Highly Recommended. detroitcineaste

The curious but warm story of an old man and his odyssey to reunite with his estranged brother is David Lynch's first - and perhaps only - experiment with family cinema without setting aside his creed; that is notorious for the characters that come out of his invective. Unlike his other works, this one does not require intellectual effort to see, and remains in the memory for a long time.

I like David Lynch and his movies, my favourites being The Elephant Man, Mulholland Dr, Blue Velvet and this. I don't think I can add very much to the previous reviews that sum it up so nicely, but I'll do my best. The Straight Story is not a complex movie, the script is quite simple but it didn't need to be. Despite its simplicity, the script is also very moving and literate and you can tell a lot of heart went into shaping it. The film is also quite meditative in its pace, but again that didn't bother me at all, because as a quite reflective piece of work the meditative pace was deliberate. Besides, even if they were flaws, which I don't think they are if anything they are strengths in regards to The Straight Story, the film has a number of things to love about it. For one thing, the Straight Story is beautifully filmed with the cinematography fluid and the scenery spellbinding. The score adds to the film's poignant tones, in terms of direction The Straight Story is one of Lynch's best directed movies and the story while simple is beautifully told and surprisingly warm too. Also Richard Farnsworth gives a wonderful lead performance, he genuinely moved me and I felt for his character too. In conclusion, a beautiful film and one of Lynch's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

What a beautiful movie, from a guy who make a weird yet good film like Eraserhead, Wild At Heart, and Lost Highway, can make a beautiful film like this, very very impressive, with Richard Farnsworth incredible performance, The Straight Story is a very powerful, inspiring, and wonderful film.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

With a self-explanatory title, The Straight Story is a movie quite far that Lynch uses to do, and even so he can direct it of right way, simple and direct story, that inherits realistic elements from Elephant Man, creating a full of tender and simple story that is emotionaly beautiful and touching

I love the way they shoot and have the idea to make a biography or history film about a real person but David Lynch's vision of The Straight Story literally deserves a well respective talent for Lynch and even other films about real life. It is a wonderful film.

It is hard to believe that David Lynch actually directed this one. Oddly enough though, it does have the look and feel of a Lynch film, even if it not as odd and flat out disturbing as his films typically are. Decidedly American, The Straight Story is a sweet and sentimental tale of a man who travels 240 miles on a lawn mower to visit his brother who is suffering from a stroke. With a great performance from Richard Farnsworth, The Straight Story is moving and incredibly entertaining, especially as the man visits a nice collection of characters whilst traveling. The cinematography is phenomenal, as are the mise en scene and score. The only problems I have with The Straight Story are the occasionally too slow pacing that bores more than entertains and, even worse, Sissy Spacek. I get that her character has a mental disability, but her performance is awful anyways. She is typically bad, but she outdid herself here with a career-worst performance. Wow is she awful. I could never understand what she said, regardless of her speech impediment. Annoying stuff. Overall, The Straight Story is a good and truly unique film from David Lynch that finds entertainment and beauty in such a simple premise.

David Lynch's most deviating film of his regular type of movie making is called ''The Straight Story'' and wow what a moving, gorgeous, extraordinary, emotional, American odyssey this one is. Because the film was directed by David Lynch, who usually deals in the bizarre, we keep waiting for the other shoe to drop--for Alvin's odyssey to intersect with the Twilight Zone. But it never does. ''The Straight Story'' is astonishing in how simplistic, yet deep it is. Everything about Farnsworth's performance is brilliantly simple, just an old american trying to visit his brother before it's too late, and because he's not allowed to drive, he decides to drive cross country on a lawn-mower with a max speed of 5 miles an hour. This seems like a melodramatic plot to a cheesy movie, but keep in mind, this is based on a true story, and it handles the material perfectly. Following that notion is how simple but incredibly heartfelt the screenplay is, with simple characters saying things like: ''What is the number for 9-1-1?!'' or ''What do you need that grabber for Alvie?, Alvie answers: Grabbing'. '' but this screenplay also includes some philosophical, deep and meaningful dialogue like when Alvie tells a story to another war veteran about the war, or a little game he used to play with his children (i dont want to spoil anything, but you'll know what i mean when you'll watch it) and there are many more scenes like that. ''The Straight Story'' is a straight-forward movie that's simple and easy to follow, unlike previous Lynch movies, but Lynch does make this story his own by using imagery and metaphors while shooting this movie. For example the people Alvin talks to, the first he talks to is a young runaway and he tells a story about how many kids he's had and how many grandkids, then he talks to a bunch of adolescents, then to an old war veteran in a bar, then to a pastor in a cemetery, all before his journey ends and visits his brother Lyle. Also the landscapes he drives through start of by being green, full of life, and sunny. But slowly digress into darker imagery, a girl hitting a deer before his eyes, him almost crashing down a hill because of the weakness of his lawnmower, and talking to a pastor on a cemetery. (You see/get the idea right) But the plot is so simple, yet so brilliant and dualistic, the clues in this **** to why Alvin Straight is REALLY going to see on his brother on his tractor, are delivered with a degree of subtle high-art that even most reviewers of this film missed, but to give a hint... Runaway Girl (aka Dorothy from Oz invoking "no place like home" to start the journey) = Human Birth Deer-strike Lady = Human Ambition (with the leering deer symbolizing that which is lost in its wake) Tractor Brakes/House On Fire= Lynch's explanation of what REALLY **** VERY close attention to that scene. The Handymen Dialogue= Human Honesty (as a result of the above) Bartender Scene= Human Accomplishment Graveyard Scene= Impending Mortality Dead Engine Short Of Destination= Deserved Punishment (notice how Alvin accepts this knowing he has earned this fate) and finally, I feel the greatest moment in the Lynch film... Old Man On Tractor= God Camera Pans Away= Dignity Of Private Confession Immaculate Repair= Sins Forgiven The Straight Story is a G-Rated masterpiece. (Tip: before viewing, bring a box of tissues because, man, this film will tear you up. Multiple times. e.g The ending with his brother... yes... the bar scene with the two aged characters talking about the war... yes... Rosie's story of losing her kids... yes... Really, anytime Straight talked about his life or extended his thanks for someone's courtesy... yes, it had me crying) All in all ''The Straight Story'' is an absolutely beautiful film, and a hidden gem in Lynch's filmography overshadowed by his magnum opus'. ''The Straight Story'' is anoverlooked and forgotten masterpiece.

The Straight Story just continues to move straight without any flaws getting in its way. You'll love this straight-to-the-eye story and we might see it again depending on the taste of the people.

A satisfyingly fine movie which is a good example of drama. There is nothing wrong nor special about it, you may sit down and enjoy a humble well-made movie.

WHat a great film The Straight story is! Briliant!! I've never watched a film so moving yet so subtle. The acting was amazing and so was the simple yet very deep story.

The Straight Story is so relaxing, poetic, and beautiful in its approach that all people are decent and that the journey is all part of the final destination.

How can a movie where nothing much happens be so amazing. It has the allure **** book read on a winters evening. Settle down, turn off the phone and watch a nice story been told in pictures.