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THE STRAIGHT STORY Send This Review to a Friend
Those who complain about the lack of warm, family-oriented entertainment now have the opportunity for which they've been waiting. "The Straight Story" is wholesome, sincere, moving and above all, it contains an unforgettable performance by Richard Farnsworth, who plays Alvin Straight in a drama based on a real person.
The plot is uncomplicated. Alvin, an Iowan, hears that his brother in Wisconsin, from whom he has been estranged, has suffered a stroke. Because he doesn't have a driver's license, he gets on his tractor-lawnmower, a 1966 John Deere, heads for the highway and, traveling five miles an hour, is determined to have a reunion with his brother before it is too late.
Farnsworth makes the character come vividly alive as he surmounts the inevitable obstacles along the route. It is a heartwarming but not overly sentimental portrayal, and to Farnsworth's credit he can make the true but improbable story endearingly convincing. Farnsworth is a 79-year-old actor whose career dates back to being a stuntman when he was 16. He is sure to be up for awards. Sissy Spacek is poignant as Alvin's awkward daughter Rose.
Surprisingly, the film, written by John Roach and Mary Sweeney, has been directed by David Lynch, known for films of an entirely different stripe, such as "Eraserhead,""The Elephant Man," "Blue Velvet" and "Twin Peaks--Fire Walks With Me." This is a shocking switch to a lyrical story brought to the screen with the utmost tenderness. A Disney release.
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