Rating: 
Summary: A un-Lynchian gem
Review: At one point in this amazing film, Alvin Straight is asked by some young campers to name the best thing about being old. Straight says that since he's seen everything there is to see, he is more able to separate the wheat from the chaff and let the smaller stuff fall away. After the incredible film year of 1999 ended, and the smaller stuff fell away, David Lynch's masterpiece remained standing head and shoulders above most of the rest, arguably the finest film of the year.Richard Farnsworth is Alvin Straight, a man intent on journeying 300 miles from his home in Iowa to visit his estranged brother in Wisconsin after the latter has a stroke. With eyes too bad to drive, and distrusting of being driven by others, he builds a trailer to pull behind his lawn-mower and sets off on an incredible journey, indirectly teaching valuable lessons to the folks he meets along the way. Lynch's direction and Freddie Francis's cinematography are breath-taking. They linger on rolling waves of endless wheat fields, billowing seas of storm clouds and wonder-filled starry nights ... and most important of all, they explore the incredibly emotive landscape of Richard Farnsworth's old face, etched with an entire life's worth of experiences, and punctuated by a beatific smile and tender blue eyes. Farnsworth's performance is a gem. Only the most hardened of hearts will sit through this late odyssey in an old man's life (with echoes of Bergman's Wild Strawberries) without being touched over and over and over by the poetry and lyricism that Lynch brings to this jewel. Don't miss this film.
Rating:
Summary: Richard Farnsworth transcends acting in this wonderful film
Review: "The Straight story" was one of my favourite movies of 1999. It is a warm and gentle movie that is not overly sentimental. Every scene has just the right tone. Fans of David Lynch might be astonished when they hear that their master made a G-rated movie, but to my mind, it is one of Lynch's best films. I think that sometimes, his films are too freaky for their own good, but in "The Straight Story", he completely serves his screenplay and trusts his actors. Richard Farnsworth is really masterful as Alvin Straight. His performance is so effective that he almost moved me to tears. He shows us a man that hasn't lost his dignity despite being old and handicaped. But let's not forget the supporting cast with the outstanding Sissy Spacek. Other great contributions are made by cinematographer Freddie Francis and also by the score composer. I once wrote that Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line" is not always poetic because it strives too hard to be just that. Cinematic poetry cannot be forced, it must develope out of the moment. "The Straight Story" is one of the most poetic films of the decade.
Rating:
Summary: The Straight Story
Review: A wonderful movie. I just wish that Disney had released thismovie to more Theatres and that it had a better distribution. One ofthe best movies I have ever seen. It should have received an AcadamyAward. It just shows you the kind of people that vote in the Acadamy when this movie was not recognized and a movie likes The dysfuctional "American Beauty" walks off with the top award. END
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful and magnificent film, Lynch's best work
Review: Admittedly, the fact that I look with favor on any film that doesn't portray Iowans as hicks may slightly taint my review. But what David Lynch has created with this film is something truly moving and timeless, the likes of which hasn't been seen in a LONG time, even during last year which was a phenomenal year for great movies. If someone had told me that the best films of 1999 would be about a puppeteer who travels inside the mind of John Malkovich and an elderly man who rides 300 miles on a lawnmower, I would have been cautious of anything arriving in theaters. Against the odds, however, both films proved to be masterpieces, even if they didn't walk away with any Academy Awards (like we need to give any credence to that particular institution). This brings me to what I felt was one of the biggest travesties in Oscar history. Academy voters could have done all the right things by awarding Richard Farnsworth (calling attention to an overlooked film, awarding the oldest actor ever to be nominated for Best Actor, capping the career of a great character actor who's been working in the business for over half a century, and, most importantly, by giving the award to the most deserving performance), but instead they gave it to Kevin Spacey (who was excellent, but then again, he's always excellent) as part of "American Beauty"'s Oscar sweep. Oh, well, those who see "The Straight Story" know that Farnsworth's appearance truly ranks among the greatest of all time. There is a scene in a bar where Farnsworth (an actual WWII veteran)recounts a war story with another veteran. The sadness behind his eyes conveys all the visual horror of the D-Day sequence in "Saving Private Ryan", and it's the closest I've ever come to actually crying in a movie (not counting when I was little and Yoda died in "Return of the Jedi"). To costar with Farnsworth in the first act of the movie, Lynch got Sissy Spacek, and her moving turn as Alvin Straight's daughter was surely deserving of an Oscar nomination (as was the score, cinematography, director, and the picture as a whole), and she avoids all the cliches of playing a "slow" individual. Her scenes with Farnsworth are absolutely priceless. Is it possible, therefore, for the movie to sustain itself once Farnsworth sets out alone on the road? Yes it is, thanks to beautiful aerial photography, a score that alternates between vibrancy, tragedy, and sadness, and a capable supporting cast. There is not a villain in the film, the closest of which are two brothers who try to cheat Alvin on repairs to his lawn mower. Alvin, however, sets them straight (no pun intended), and leaves them better off, as he does to all the people he encounters. You may wonder why I rave so much about a film that sounds so simple. Well, you can describe as much as you want with words, but it's not until you see all those elements work together onscreen that you can fully appreciate just how magical a work of film "The Straight Story" is.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating Journey...
Review: Richard Farnsworth delivers a performance that must rank as one of his best in a long career. The pace of this movie is wonderful. It is slow, like the countryside it depicts, but not as to be dull. Farnsworth is absolutely perfect in his role as 73 year old Alvin Straight. Sissy Spasek is wonderful as his daughter, who is sweet and caring (but a little slow mentally). The fact that director David Lynch made this film may be surprising, but he handles it wonderfully. There is only one possible weak point in the film, and it involves a hysterical motorist who hits an animal on the highway. This quick scene seems somewhat out of place, but not in a terribly distractng sense. The fact that this is a true story makes it all the more fascinating. Definitely worth seeing, The Straight Story showcases Richard Farnsworth in a performance that easily rivaled that of Kevin Spacey in this year's Academy Awards race.
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Summary: its possible
Review: the theatrical and artistic aspects of this grand movie enhance a very deep story line. the slow seeming pace of action, the intimacy of conversation,the straight across acceptance of the characters for each other,all give us a look at that elusive goal we all seek of peace in our lives. this is not being still or inactive, but having peace with our history,, life and yet being still on the journey with whatever is at hand. this portrayal reminds us that life is indeed a school and if we learn the lessons we can achieve a sense of self that is beautiful, is powerful in its effect on others and will result in transformation in many ways wherever we go. thanks david lynch.
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Summary: David Lynch Redeems Self!
Review: It's good to see a film like this....restful, hopeful, good forthe soul. I could take my kids to see it...if I had any! ThankGoodness I didn't have to be embarrassed, or to think twice about recommending it to anyone (as I already have)...and did you know that most good publicity is by word-of-mouth! I'll shout it from the house-tops, "See This Film!" Richard Farnsworth gets it right, and personally I think he deserves this year's Oscar for Best Actor...but who knows what the people of Hollywood think? They'll probably give it to one of their flashy, glitzy movie-boys who are more fluff than stuff. Sissy Spacek, thank-you for being in this film as well....your portrayal of Mr. Straight's "special" daughter touched me...and the loneliness and longing you showed toward your missing children is something I won't soon forget. Mr. Lynch, what made you decide to direct such a kind movie? What's gotten into you, Man? Whatever it was, keep it up! Thank-you for your moving message. I didn't see much publicity for this flick, but good is still good! Why didn't the studios promote it? Don't they know that people want to see GOOD stuff, not just flashy-fluff? Two Thumbs up....'Way Up! END
Rating:
Summary: A review by Lourdes
Review: The bittersweet portrayal of the nobility of the human soul as given to us by Richard Farnsworth in The Straight Story certainly is deserving of an Oscar. Amazing how a simple life can exemplify the everlasting mystery of humanity which enables man to love and forgive. Thanks, David Lynch!
Rating:
Summary: Alvin Straight made me want to be a better person!
Review: I have never seen a film that captured it's audience so fully and completely. When movies end and the credits begin, what happens? People get up and leave. Sure a few people will stay behind and read the credits.... But when I had the honor of seeing The Straight Story, noone stirred. Noone moved. It was as if we all waited, hoping to get one last glimpse of this beautifully simple and honest man. It was as if we stayed to hear the beautiful score for one more second, the story would be retold and our lives would be sweet again. This film is simply glorious.
Rating:
Summary: A thoroughly enjoyable film about age and redemption
Review: Who would have expected David Lynch, the director of films from the bizarre underbelly of America (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks) to come up with such a beautifully simple movie about the need for redemption in life, and do it without corniness or coarseness? Yet, Lynch has created one of the most touching movies I've seen in a long time - while avoiding the saccharine effects of Hollywood fare. "The Straight Story" is literally a straight story, about an old man named Alvin Straight. As a "road movie" it runs a straight line from start to finish, but along the way Lynch throws in some of his best scenes, pacing and dialogue, which keep the movie from being too maudlin or flat. Alvin Straight, a retired Iowa farmer in the receding twilight of his life, sets out to see his ailing brother, whom he's not seen or spoken to in years, in Wisconsin. He can't drive and can't take the bus, so he hitches up a makeshift trailer to his battered tractor and makes the journey, at 15 mph, across the heartland to see his brother. Cue the heart-swelling scenes of Iowa cornfields and the uplifting music by Lynch pal Angelo Badalamenti. But none of it plays predictably. Straight encounters some unique people on the road - some who might seek his help and wisdom, some who could help him - and it's in this context that Lynch works his quirky magic. The old cliche about life being a journey gets an elegant and charming makeover. Alvin reveals, through conversations with friends and strangers, that he's led a tumultuous and cantankerous life; but even now, his stubborness both drives him and keeps him on the straight path to his brother's doorstep. We know that 10 years of bad blood have separated the two men; will Straight's brother finally accept him once he arrives? Will Straight own up to his past mistakes? Will the film end on a falsely-derived feel-good ending? Lynch avoids the traps skilfully and gives us some very interesting characters along the way. Richard Farnsworth plays Straight beautifully: a mixture of quiet stubborness mastered by resignation. His weathered face says a lot. Sissy Spacek gives a deft performance as Straight's mildly retarded daughter. She has a life full of her own regrets and mistakes: she tries to be strong and helpful for her aging father, yet we learn she has children of her own somewhere - taken away by the state long ago. There are other characters who play small but interesting roles: a young runaway girl who shares a roadside camp with Straight; a barman who offers Straight a beer and a painful memory; a family straight out of a Norman Rockwell tableau, and, in a classic Lynchian scene, an unhinged woman motorist who hits a deer and flips out in front of the bemused Straight. The dialogue is right on target, being neither contrived nor melodramatic. In one scene, shot from a middle distance, we see Alvin talking to someone, but we can't quite hear them. Rather than "mike" it so that every line is audible, Lynch chose instead to keep the viewer outside. That and the somewhat off-kilter camera angles makes the look and tone of "The Straight Story" so refreshing: not everything has to be explained or conventional. Lynch isn't putting heroic words in Alvin's mouth, nor is he saying that being old and decrepit is somehow noble. There are no weird, malevolent or supernatural beings here. Lynch has (for once - maybe not for the last time) given us a look at real life, the way it meanders along with no seeming purpose, but whose little events add up to something greater.
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