THE STRAIGHT STORY (1999) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - David Lynch

Written by - John Roach, Mary Sweeney

Starring - Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek

"By 1999, DAVID LYNCH had well established himself as a director with a distinctively surrealist and sometimes violent style, whose films were able to disturb or mystify his viewers, but never be ignored by them. But with THE STRAIGHT STORY, most might have been surprised to see him collaboration with WALT DISNEY on what is certainly his warmest film. 

THE STRAIGHT STORY is based on the true and inspiring feelgood tale of ALVIN STRAIGHT, a World War II veteran who set off on a journey across Iowa to Winsconsin on his lawnmower in 1994 to make amends with his dying brother. We follow him on the journey, which LYNCH opted to shoot chronologically, a choice that led him to calling work on this film his most experimental. 

LYNCH's style is still very defining, but most of the surrealism comes with the pace of the film being dictated by the slowness of the lawnmower, that in itself is a driving element in the film. This also provides some truly wonderful and romantic shots of the landscape, underlines by one of Badalamenti's most memorable scores. Imagery and music come together in these sequences to add a subtle and yet noticeable flirtation with the feelings evoked by stories of American folklore, and give this film a slight and meaningful feeling of a magical modern day fairytale. 

But LYNCH's handling of the balancing of cinematic romanticism with maturity and genuineness is very admirable and particularly evident in the film's dialogue as well as its introverted quietness. 

At the age of 79, RICHARD FARNSWORTH got the opportunity of a lifetime when he took the leading role and turned in a fine career defining performance, after decades of being relagated to the role of the reliable supporting player. With his turn in the film and through his restrained performance, he touched many hearts and landed an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor."

Drama, France/UK/USA