Una storia vera

It takes patience to get through David Lynch's eccentric, but-- for a change-- life-affirming chronicle of Alvin Straight's journey, but stick with it. Though it moves as slow as Straight's John Deere, when he meets the kind strangers along his pilgrimage we learn much about the isolation of aging, the painful regrets and secrets, and ultimately the power of family and reconciliation. Richard Farnsworth caps his career with the year's most genuine performance, sad and poetic, flinty and caring. And Sissy Spacek matches him as his "slow" daughter Rose who pines over her own private loss while caring for dad. Rarely has a modern film preached so positively about family.

Alvin Straight is a 73-year-old Veteran living in Laurens, Iowa with his daughter Rose. Though Straight can barely walk, he refuses a Zimmer frame, opting instead to make use of two canes to get around. One day, Straight discovers that his estranged brother Lyle- who lives some 240 miles away in Wisconsin- has had a stroke and is near death's door. Having no automobile but wanting to see his brother, the strong-willed Straight decides to use his lawn-mower to make the journey, despite the daunting nature of the task. On an odyssey through the American countryside, will Straight make it all the way to Wisconsin before his John Deere breaks down?

Based on true events, David Lynch's 'The Straight Story' is a beautiful film that works as a lyrical ballad for the American landscape and a moving character study both. John Roach and Mary Sweeney's screenplay weaves a powerfully unaffected tale that speaks volumes about the human condition. Like Hemingway, the dialogue is simple and profound, and the story full of subtleties. As Straight embarks on his quest, we learn of his life- as well as the lives of the characters he encounters along the way- and the film becomes a tapestry of American Midwestern existence.

Containing much warm-humor and genuine drama, 'The Straight Story' is Lynch's least abstract film and arguably his most emotionally percipient. As Straight plods ever onward, his mower straining over hills, the simplicity of the central narrative disappears, and the film becomes epic in scale. Like a Greek tragedian, Lynch uses Straight's story as a canvas to explore human nature, connecting with the audience on a deeper, more profound level. By the time the credits roll, viewers will have gone on an emotional journey as lengthy and impactful as Straight's 240-mile quest; and one just as memorable.

Often, Lynch uses the same core crew for his films, and 'The Straight Story' reunites him with many of them; cinematographer Freddie Francis being just one. Francis captures the majesty of the American landscape incredibly, putting one in mind of the work of Néstor Almendros and Haskell Wexler from Terence Malick's 'Days of Heaven.' With amber waves of grain rippling like an ocean in the wind, red barns erupting from yellow cornfields, the night sky draped in starlight sitting over the world like a crown; the film is a visual feast.

Lynch has stated that a successful film is comprised of "sound and image flowing together through time," positing that, in scenes, visuals and sounds must complement each other; as they do masterfully throughout 'The Straight Story.' The late, great Angelo Badalamenti's score is haunting and melodic, tonally matching Francis' visuals perfectly. The film's stunning marriage of sound and image is unforgettable and evocative work, held together adroitly by Lynch and Sweeney's unobtrusive editing.

'The Straight Story' stars Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight, delivering a tour de force performance of great emotional sagacity and depth. He is completely authentic and utterly charming, carrying with him a mournful air that is most affecting. Throughout his decades long career, Farnsworth gave some terrific performances in a variety of projects. Whether in 'Comes A Horseman,' 'The Grey Fox,' or 'Misery;' he was always believable, often making his fellow actors look mannered and forced through his ease of performance. As Straight, he never puts a foot wrong; turning in what may be one of the finest, most subtle pieces of acting ever captured on film. That he didn't win the Academy Award for his efforts is frankly shameful, and a testament to the fact that the Academy more often than not get it wrong.

All from the supporting cast do commendable work, with Sissy Spacek impressing greatly as Straight's daughter Rose, who has some sort of learning difficulty. Spacek doesn't overdo the eccentricity of her character, giving a very measured and thoughtful performance that is a highlight of her filmography. Additionally, Harry Dean Stanton has a short but unforgettable scene where he demonstrates in thirty seconds the boundless depth, range and pure acting prowess that endeared him to so many; and just may leave you in tears.

Powerful and poignant, David Lynch's 'The Straight Story' is- for all intents and purposes- a flawless piece of filmmaking. With a strong screenplay from Mary Sweeney and John Roach and captivating cinematography from Freddie Francis- not to mention the great score from Angelo Badalamenti- it is brilliant from start to finish. Featuring impactful performances from the likes of Sissy Spacek and Harry Dean Stanton, and anchored by a career best Richard Farnsworth; 'The Straight Story' is about as close to perfect as a film can come.

Perhaps more than many films, this one is not for everyone. For some folks the idea of slowing down, reflecting and allowing things to happen in their own time is a good description of their personal hell. For others an approach like this speaks to some deep part of themselves they know exists, some part they long for contact with.

I suppose it's a function of where I am in my own life these days, but I count myself in the camp of the latter group. I found the meditative pace of this film almost hypnotic, gently guiding me into some realm almost mythological. This is indeed a journey story, a rich portrayal of the distance many of us must travel if we are to come full circle at the end of our days.

Much as been written of Mr Farnsworth's presentation of Alvin Straight, though I'm not sure there are words to express the exquisite balance of bemused sadness and wise innocence he conjured for us. Knowing now that he was indeed coming to terms with his own mortality as he sat on that tractor seat makes me wish I had had the opportunity to spend time with him before his departure. I hope he had a small glimmer of the satisfaction and truth he had brought to so many people, not just for "acting" but for sharing his absolute humanity with such brutal honesty.

Given the realities of production economics, I'm not sure full credit has been given Mr Lynch for the courage he showed in allowing the story to develop so slowly. An outsider to film production, I nonetheless understand there are few areas of modern life where the expression "time is money" is so accurately descriptive. Going deep into our hearts is not an adventure that can be rushed, and to his credit Mr Lynch seems to have understood that he was not simply telling a story--he was inviting his viewers to spend some time with their own mortality. No simple task, that.

If you'd like to experience the power of film to take introduce you to some precious part of yourself, you could do worse than spending a couple of hours with The Straight Story. And then giving yourself some time for the next little while simply listening to its echoes in the small hours of the night.

David Lynch is a director known for the weirdness of many of his films. After all, he's helmed "Eraserhead", "Blue Velvet", "Dune" and "Twin Peaks"--all very weird films by anyone's standards. However, here he's made a film that is very different in tone from his other famous work--and I wouldn't have suspected he could make such a 'normal' film. Perhaps this is because unlike most of his work, he didn't write "The Straight Story"--just directed it. Regardless, it's an exceptional film--one that is really unlike anything else I've seen--and I have seen and reviewed A LOT of films.

The film is based on a true story that occurred a few years before the film was made. Alvin Straight was a 73 year-old man whose brother suffered a stroke. Alvin did not have a driver's license, as he had poor vision and was in pretty poor health. So, in order to make it to his brother's home hundreds of miles away, Alvin rigged up a trailer onto his riding mower and set out on a journey that would take him well over a month!

While the subject matter is pretty mundane and the story rather slow-going (mostly because Alvin Straight's journey was a very slow one), the film managed to be quite entertaining. The script was excellent, Lynch's direction lovely and Richard Farnsworth was terrific in the film as Alvin Straight. Overall, despite being such a simple story, it is a very special sort of film--one that folks who don't demand action and excitement will enjoy.

This is not a movie for fans of the usual eerie Lynch stuff. Rather, it's for those who either appreciate a good story, or have grown tired of the run-of-the-mill stuff with overt sentimentalism and Oprah-ish "This is such a wonderful movie! You must see it!"-semantics (tho' she IS right, for once!).

The story unfolds flawlessly, and we are taken along a journey that, I believe, most of us will come to recognize at some time. A compassionate, existentialist journey where we make amends för our past when approaching ourt inevitable demise.

Acting is without faults, cinematography likewise (occasionally quite brilliant!), and the dialogue leaves out just enough for the viewer to grasp the details od the story.

A warm movie. Not excessively sentimental.