Rating: 
Summary: incredible movie... disappointing DVD
Review: What a waste for such a great movie to have no extras. Also... the lack of chapters is understandable, but at the same time unreasonable. It more irks the viewer than makes him want to watch the entire film over and over. People like viewing certain parts of their favorite movies! That's why they made the DVD format!!!
Rating: 
Summary: I adore this movie
Review: The tears started in the first minute and flowed to the end. That may not seem like an endorsement to some, I admit I am easily brought to tears, but the strength of this movie is that its sentiment is so real and the tears are deserved.
Rating:
Summary: What on Earth were they thinking?
Review: Howdy! First of all, I've seen most of David Lynch's films, and I think this one is one of his best films. It is a surprisingly straight forward film (rated G, for goodness sakes! on a Lynch film??) and boasts some of the best landscape cinematography, in my humble opinion, since Days of Heaven or The Horse Whisperer. It is really quite beautiful. And Richard Farnsworth offers a superb performance as the man who decides to trek cross country to visit his brother (If you don't already know, this film was based on a true story). Those people interested in Mr. Farnsworth's performance should definitely check out Anne of Green Gables (it is always on PBS for fund-raising and it is probably one of the best family films of the last several decades, honestly!).This film is slow and methodical and is quite a good counter-point to all the MTV-editing style action films of the day. But you can read about the plot elsewhere, I want to say a few words about the DVD itself. This is a STRANGE DVD, to be blunt. I know David Lynch usually does strange things, but this is *really* strange. The video and audio quality of the DVD are quite good - no complaints there. But this is totally bare-bones, only a trailer and nothing else. Nothing. Considering the really hefty price tag this DVD has, that's nonsensical. But the weirdest thing is that the movie is NOT divided into any chapters at all. It's all ONE chapter. So if you watch one hour, plug in a different DVD, and then return to this one, you'll have to fast-forward through the entire movie to get back to where you were. Heaven forbid that you should have a power outage 5 minutes before the end of the movie. I guess Mr. Lynch wants us to watch the entire film in one setting, but really... So, I rate the film a very HIGH 5 stars, but because of the peculiar presentation of the DVD, I must bump it down to 4 stars. Despite this, I really recommend this film - it's perfect for the family and it even teaches some valuable lessons on the virtues of unity and family.
Rating: 
Summary: Pass me a pillow
Review: God, this is a film better left on the shelf, trust me. Sure the acting is good, and the general screenpla is good too, but as far as interest goes, forget it, you'll be asleep sooner than the you'd think from such a criticall acclaimed film.From Lnch you'd expect some type of mysterious and intriguing film, something out of the ordinary, but it i so so boring.
Rating:
Summary: A Sad Long Road Movie
Review: Compelling art from an artist like the best known TWISTED Lynch, this story brings out the soft spots in Lynch's beautiful work. Straight Story is a compelling, sweet and honest movie about care and family. Farnsworth pulls off a warm, dedicated and lovable performance. Lynch gives the feel of the story as he always does, trademarked with a classic.
Rating:
Summary: When real life is better than fiction
Review: Alvin Straight is a man of many years. He has made mistakes, but he has learned when it is time to set aside pride and do what has to be done -at any cost.
Based on an actual event, David Lynch's latest film The Straight Story, stars Oscar nominee Richard Farnsworth playing the role of Alvin Straight, a 72 year old man who knows the importance of family, a good swisher sweets cigar, and the awe of a summer sky. Straight comes to a realization that he is not getting any younger when he takes a bad fall and then receives news that his brother he hasn't spoken to in ten years has suffered a stroke.
Alvin decides he must leave his home of Laurens, Iowa to visit his brother Lisle in Mt. Zion, Wisconsin. Wanting to complete this journey completely on his own, but without a license or a car, Alvin sets out on his ride-on lawn mower.
Alvin meets many people on his adventure north, giving him time to tell stories and give advice backed by his life of experiences. The drama builds slowly, but the overall effect is resonant.
Wanting to capture the outdoors just as Alvin would have experienced it, Lynch insisted the movie be filmed on location as well as in the exact seasonal timeframe. The film moves gracefully through the Midwest American landscape with help from director of photography Freddie Francis, who worked with Lynch on The Elephant Man and Dune.
Designed by Angelo Bandalmenti, the soundtrack behind The Straight Story creeps along in a sleepy tone similar to sound design he did with Lynch for the television series Twin Peaks. It provides the perfect emotional backdrop, taking on a darker theme as Alvin crosses the Mississippi River.
Another aspect of the film that cannot be overlooked is Sissy Spacek's performance as Rose, Alvin's "slower" daughter. Although the majority of the movie revolves around Alvin, her story and character are vital. Spacek's speech, delivery, and mannerisms as simple as washing the dishes are extraordinarily executed.
The Straight Story ends right on time, no more, no less. It is a simple film about a simple subject, leaving the viewer with a gentle sense of calm. As a follow up to Lost Highway Lynch has redeemed himself.
Rating:
Summary: "Tenderness can be just as abstract as insanity"
Review: Behind the tenderness and the simple story, there is a characteristically dark current running through the images, music and sounds in this film, a feeling of impending darkness. It never manifests itself, but the feeling is there in the abstract, resounding like the magnificent sounds of a towering grain elevator. A constant reminder that in spite of the film's G rating, this is still a David Lynch picture, and he winks at us with subtle suggestions and imagery that will stay with you long after the film has ended. Beautifully photographed, the film displays Lynch's mastery of mood, composition and colour. His second road movie (after Wild At Heart), a marvel of linear storytelling, and a masterpiece. The digital transfer is beautiful, the colours are vivid, the picture is sharp, and the sounds are crystal clear. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Lynch in coherent, life affirming mode - no circus freaks
Review: A tough gig, you would have thought, watching a film about an old geezer who drives his lawnmower halfway across the USA to see his long lost brother. Especially if directed by David Lynch. But he pulls it off, and then some. This is one of the most coherent, positive films I've seen in a long while from anyone - it's even more remarkable that David Lynch directed it, hard on the heels of his celebratedly unfathomable "Lost Highway". For all its difference in outlook, like Wild At Heart and Lost Highway it's an unshamed road movie. Rather than carrying the story, though, here the road (literally and figuratively) IS the story: sweeping shots of the road, the headlight view, turning wheels, highways of corn, rivers of rain down the window and even the the dead straight path of the sun in the late afternoon sky reinforce this idea of an inevitable, pre-ordained journey, which Alvin (the old buzzard on the lawnmower) personifies. With a beautifully framed sense of fatalism, Lynch takes the ostensibly absurd and makes complete sense out of it: tripping from Iowa to Wisconsin on a lawnmower isn't, you might think, the most commonsense thing to do, but in the context it's the right thing to do; it's the inevitable thing to do - and if you analyse it, it's no more pointless than a lifetime spent smoking and contracting emphysema, or for that matter not speaking to your own brother for ten years - both of which Alvin (and half the rest of us) are guilty of anyway. The characterisations of the supporting cast are incredibly humane and real - in place of Lynch's usual cast of misfits and weirdoes, Alvin encounters a succession of decent, Middle American folk, who do decent things, whilst giving Alvin the intermittent opportunity to share some hoary old pearls of wisdom, and confront one of two of the demons in his past. This aspect could have easily devolved into sordid sentimentality, but Lynch handles it very deftly indeed. The same could have been true of the final scene, but (without giving away too much), it is done with a beautiful lightness of touch, and it left me with that all-too-rare sense of complete satisfaction as the credits rolled. This is an outstanding movie.
Rating:
Summary: Atypical Lynch Still At His Best
Review: It was impossible to watch this film without thinking of Richard Farnsworth's suicide in Oct 2000 (due to the pain of bone cancer). Farnsworth plays an aged & determined man who travels on his own terms to visit his brother who fell ill. A brother he hadn't spoken with since 10 years because of an alcohol induced argument. This is a film about the lifetime of human experiences. Its running themes include: the haunting & unforgiving nature of memory; simple reflections on living, loss & regret, and especially the strength of will & reconciliation. Sissy Spacek is remarkable as Rose, Alvin's mentally challenged (?) daughter & impossible to ignore, especially in the scenes when she longingly looks out the window. David Lynch admirers might miss his usual focus on the unusual, however it's evident that he is, in fact, behind the camera. For eg, the way some of the scenes close completely & the next opens; the scenes with the ball rolling & how those were filmed; and especially Alvin's encounter with the distressed driver. A truly one of a kind film from beginning to beautiful end (`Yes I did'). Silence can say so many words. It should pull the heart strings of anyone - I would hope.
Rating:
Summary: Kevin Spacey?
Review: The year "The Straight Story" came out, Kevin Spacey was chosen over Richard Farnsworth for the "best actor" Oscar. In my opinion, though, Richard Farnsworth's performance was much better in many ways. His character depth is sensitive and heartwarming. There are many moments of this movie in which Farnsworth's character, Alvin Straight, nearly moves me to tears. It is the touching story of a man brimming with experience, wisdom, love, and driving determination. It is inspiring and positive. It's a bit slow-paced, on the down-side. That's the only problem I have with it, though. This is one of my favorite movies of all time. Buy it.
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