Review by paulzr

I have seen many reviews for this movie, touting it as a great movie. I have my reservations. It appeals to a very limited audience to begin with. The movie is about an old timer from Iowa, Alvin Straight, who wants to visit his ailing brother in Wisconsin, so he decides to drive the 300 miles in a lawnmower. The apparent greatness of the movie is in the courage it takes an old man to actually undertake something like this, and the people he meets on the way and what he adds to their life. The unapparent foolishness (which most people seem to ignore) is that it takes him six weeks to make the journey! Alvin cant drive, and he doesn't like travelling by bus, so he would rather spend six weeks on a lawnmower at considerable risk to himself, rather than make a day long journey by bus! He also seems to forget the fact that his brother whom he so urgently wants to see to resolve some old dispute could very well die in those six weeks, rendering his 'courage' useless. A lot of people are touched by the conversations he has on the way with people, giving them parable like insights into life - so where was his wisdom when he needed to get himself on a bus and visit his brother - wasn't that more sensible courage? The movie is excruciatingly slow at times, and besides the fact that Alvin's story is not really worth telling, it could very well be told equally well with a lot of editing. I would not recommend this movie to most people - unless they're suffering from deep loneliness, psychological problems, unresolved issues, etc like the characters themselves.