The Straight Story (1999) Reviewed by Eugene Novikov http://www.ultimate-movie.com/ Member: Online Film Critics Society
Starring Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek. Rated G.
Sometimes I think Hollywood no longer knows how to make real movies. Not everything has to be slam-bang and in-your-face. How quickly we forget that eloquence and quiet tenacity can be far more satisfying than disturbing images and big time special effects. As great as American Beauty was, I'm not sure I would want to live on a steady diet of pessimism and angst. As transporting an experience as The Matrix was, there's only so much room in my brain for mind-blowing kung fu. What I want -- and what I haven't seen much of lately -- is a film that is beautiful, good-natured, powerful in its own quiet way without getting in my face with its morals.
David Lynch's The Straight Story is just such a movie. In the best Lynch tradition, it's an eccentric but approachable true story about growing older and shooting for the stars. Corny stuff? You betcha. But only the best stalks are used.
79 year-old Richard Farnsworth plays 73 year-old Alvin Straight, a crippled old man living in Iowa with his slightly "slow" daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek). One day Alvin gets word that his brother Lyle, whom he has not talked to for decades has just had a stroke. Alvin makes up his mind to go see Lyle, who lives in the neighboring state of Wisconsin, 300 miles away. Trouble is, Alvin does not have a driver's license because of his poor vision, and his daughter can't drive. But Alvin isn't ready to give up so easily. He takes his 1964 John Deere tractor lawn mower and sets of on a pilgrimage at 5 miles an hour.
Along the way, Alvin meets Midwestern eccentrics. Some are in awe at his mode of transportation, some are impressed at the distance he has covered, many think he is just plain crazy. When his mower breaks down, a benevolent couple offers to drive him the rest of the way to his brother's house. But he refuses. He wanted to finish this trip himself, his own way, to round out his life with an achievement which would give him a sense of self-satisfaction, a feeling that he has done something truly valuable, something he will be remembered for long after he passes away.
The Straight Story claims to be based on real events. It shouldn't have. Such a claim, in retrospect, cheapens this magical movie, detracting from the sense of wonder that it inspires in us. It's better to think of this as a glorious fantasy. But either way it's a great film. The epitome of pleasantness, it will be a hit with those audiences wise enough to seek it out. But aside from being a crowd- pleaser, it's also a profound, touching drama.
With his sad eyes and intelligent face, Richard Farnsworth can be credited with bringing pathos to the screenplay. Sissy Spacek, probably best known still for her role in Carrie, is just as good; her role is poignant and, speech impediment and all, she plays it for devastating effect.
But the film's brilliance doesn't really lie in the performances, excellent as they may be. You've heard critics call other movies "The antidote to summer blockbusters," I'm sure. Nonsense. All nonsense. If you see this movie, you will agree. If this isn't the antidote to Hollywood blockbusters, such a thing does not exist. By its very nature, it's anti-Hollywood. Its pace, its atmosphere, its plot all bear no resemblance to anything I have seen come out of Hollywood previously. It's a surprise to me that Walt Disney, the distributor, agreed to even touch this film. It never had a chance of making any real money. That doesn't make it any less extraordinary or refreshing. Often the best films are acknowledged as definite future box-office flops as early as pre-production.
Technically, this is as adept a film as I've seen this year, with a gorgeous score, deft camerawork and beautiful cinematography. David Lynch manages to make the sight of cornfields and a guy riding a lawn mower genuinely breathtaking. The soothing soundtrack, composed by Angelo Badalamenti (who also scored Arlington Road, another of my favorites this year), adds to the gloriously docile atmosphere; the same theme repeats over and over, becoming more hypnotic each time around. By the end of The Straight Story I was not only involved in the characters, I was also mesmerized by the film itself.
Above all, this is a family movie, one to take your kids to and then talk about with them afterwards. Don't expect excitement, action or big laughs. It's not that kind of movie. Instead, expect wholesome entertainment for all ages, a heartwarming, touching story about aging and following your heart. This is truly an antidote to the Hollywood blockbuster.
Grade: A
©1999 Eugene Novikov
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Before you buy.
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews