Rating: 
Summary: not a reviewer
Review: So I felt compelled to write a review here. Not especially my style. I have little to say except that this will be only the third video I have purchased. Little in film moves me enough to wish to spend money to buy the video. Simply put, this film just makes me happy. The acting is superlative. The story is simple and unencumbered, yet so engaging. And yes, I am one of those people that have grown tired of exploitative sex, violence and language. This film has a way of putting you into an introspective mode. I live in the "Silicon Valley" area. It is expensive and full of self-centered individuals...maybe I have been like that too. So, seeing this film, with all its peace, serenity, and genuineness of story made me think about a greater good (sounds so corny I guess)I might consider for my life. One of more serious concern for those I love. And one side note: The musical score is so beautiful and blends in naturally with the entire film. This is my humble submission to the reviews. Thank you.
Rating:
Summary: Count me in with the Lynch mob
Review: Lynch is back in "Elephant Man" territory, telling a straightforward tale about a real-life and sympathetic protagonist's strange adventures. (And, as with "Elephant Man" and the pairing of Lynch's name with producer Mel Brooks, it's disorienting to see Lynch's name here following Walt Disney's.) I wondered, as with the other movie, how Lynch would avoid the inevitable sentimental finish, and, as he did before, he ends this one powerfully by going the opposite way you'd expect. Farnsworth underplays to the point where you might wonder if he's playing at all, but try to imagine anyone else handling the role better. There are moments when all I remember is his face, particularly those eyes, and those are the most powerful moments of all. (Such a loss.) Spacek is a revelation in a supporting role, and Angelo Badalamenti's lovely score compelled me to buy the CD the next day. This one ain't for the MTV crowd, but for the right viewers, it's a classic.
Rating:
Summary: One of Lynch's best
Review: David Lynch returns to simplicity in The Straight Story about a grizzled old man who rides a tractor to visit his ailing brother. The look in Farnsworth's eyes prove he is an actor of great accomplishment. Sissy Spacek gives an Oscar worthy performance as his handicapped daughter. Such a simple movie contrasting with such humanistic issues, all tying in with Lynch's take on American culture, makes The Straight Story easily one of the best films of 1999.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointing DVD
Review: The reason I rated this Movie with such a low score had nothing to do with the content or the actual Motion Picture. It is a wonderful story and one of the best Motion Pictures I have ever seen. The reason I gave it just 3 stars was that, for the price, Disney did not put in any extras. There is the "Coming Attractions" and that is all. No biographies of the Actors, No Commentary, Nothing about the Director. For the price, Disney was very cheap. See the Movie and enjoy it. It really is great, but do not expect anything else.
Rating: 
Summary: Sleep Well
Review: it is conceivable that you will like this movie, though the only way i can imagine that happening is if you a) love lynch; b) are prepared to love anything he puts out; and c) know ahead of time that this is a lynch movie. besides that, i found very little redemption in this movie, after seeing all the rave reviews. Sissy is good, yes, but she plays a marginal role--generally we see the road, the man, and his machine. with background music of course, which dominates the entire film--largely because nothing else is going on. the dialogue seems trite, sometimes beyond corny, and the best thing about the movie is that the long lost brother ends up being stanton. besides that, if you are prepared for a movie in which 2/3's of your time will be spent looking at the broken yellow lines of the highway, as well as a man sitting on a lawn mower looking straight ahead, then you at least know what's in store.
Rating:
Summary: Simple Beauty
Review: 'The Striaght Story' is just that. The story of a man and his tractor, no hidden agendas. Just a sick brother and the open mid west highways. Alvin Straight goes along his trip with the attitude and doesn't seem to to back down for even the slightest moment. Along the way his simple words change peoples lives in ways most wonderful. This film is simple thats an overall fact at times you even feel bored with interest but the end result is well worth it, this is one of those rare movies that makes you proud you belong to the human race.
Rating:
Summary: A Lynch Classic
Review: I am a big fan of David Lynch-movies like Eraserhead and Blue Velvet, both of which have a dark side. So, I am a little surprised that I love The Straight Story, which is a very tender movie about an old man visiting his estranged brother 300 miles away on a riding lawn mower in the upper midwest. Everything about this movie is beautiful-from the shots of the expansive Iowa grain fields, the colorful sunrises (and sets), the small towns, the Mississippi river, to the warm hearted midwesterners who bid the old man well has he slowly travels down the road. And, not to be disappointed by the ending, it has such a peaceful tone that one leaves this movie definitely touched and having a little more optimism about our country and its people. For Lynch fans, there is the signature cinematography and music, which is also terrific, and the close shots he gives us of every day objects in a way that make them seem important. Whether you are "into" David Lynch or not, you will likely enjoy if not love this movie.
Rating:
Summary: A COMPLETE suprise!
Review: To be completely honest, I was against the rental of this movie when my wife wanted it a few weeks ago. Here I was wanting to see some action, shoot-em-up type stuff, and my wife wanted to see a guy on a tractor! Over the years of my marriage, there are things that my wife does that constantly remind me of why I married her! I loved this movie and it WILL be sitting on the DVD shelf right along with my testostrone pumpin' favorites! Richard Farnsworth made me BELIEVE in him and his mission to see his brother. I really found myself cheering him on as he crossed the country. A true effort, it's too bad we lost this actor recently. He will be sorely missed. Hollywood needs MORE actors with the genuine nature that this man held! 5-star winner!
Rating:
Summary: NOT YOUR USUAL DAVID LYNCH MOVIE
Review: From ELEPHANT MAN to SAILOR AND LULA and from ERASERHEAD to TWIN PEAKS, director David Lynch has written some of the most intriguing pages of modern cinema. So I was a little puzzled after having seen THE STRAIGHT STORY, a movie David Lynch shot in the autumn of 1998 in Iowa and Wisconsin. Apart of the first travelling of the movie and an accident scene shot in a subjective manner through Alvin's eyes, the movie adopts a very classic form. Obviously, David Lynch didn't want us to be distracted from the story he chose to film. Now, is there any substance in this story of an old man deciding to visit his brother by driving an unusually slow vehicle ? Of course, yes. The theme of the redemptive trip can been found in thousand of books and naturally in most of the road movies shot since the sixties. But, in my opinion, what makes THE STRAIGHT STORY strange and truly original is Alvin's idea that if he can make it, his brother will be still alive on his arrival. The trip is not only redemptive for Alvin and his conscience, it is also magic. And I'm intimately convinced that this is the theme which has seduced David Lynch, mystic among the mystics. Sissy Spacek proves once more that she is a very talented actress in THE STRAIGHT STORY and the only reason I give only three stars to this movie is that I would have liked a little more madness in the treatment of this unusual story. Be advised that this review is about the DVD zone 2 I've bought at Amazon.fr. A french dubbed version and french subtitles as bonus features as well as an interview with David Lynch one cannot find on the DVD zone 1. A - carpe diem- DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Delightful
Review: This movie is truly delightful. It is so very gentle as it rolls through the American landscape oh so slowly along with the lawnmower. For some people it may feel too long and drawn out, and the end never seems to be in sight, however it is not really the end that is important is the journey which is captivating. If you are looking for a faced paced movie, I suggest you look somewhere else, but if you like to get to know characters in a movie, this is the one for you!
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