After the decadent mania of "Lost Highway," one of my favorite films of the 1990's, I never expected director David Lynch to make a peaceful, simplistic film thriving on simple pleasures. Sure enough, Lynch always manages to surprise audiences, and "The Straight Story" is no exception - a wonderful film that is as illuminating and introspective as Laura Palmer's descent into hell or the duality of human nature in "Lost Highway."
Based on a true story, Richard Farnsworth plays Alvin Straight, a stubborn old man living with his slow, loving daughter, Rose (the amazing Sissy Spacek) in a small town in Iowa. One day, he learns of that his brother is sick, and decides to travel on a 1966 John Deere lawnmower from Iowa to Wisconsin to see his brother. You see, Alvin does not have a driver's license and has no one to drive him there, so, yes, a lawnmower might do the trick.
Alvin himself is not in perfect health - he has to walk with two canes and has bad eyes. But the stubborn, eccentric soul must travel against all odds on that damn lawnmower with an oversized trailer (chock full of Indian coffee beans and American wieners) and get to his destination. He must overcome speedy monstrous trucks, a paranoid deer lady, a runaway pregnant teenager, burning houses, dozens of bicyclists, and so much more. Alvin will be kind to strangers, but insists on sleeping outside or in his trailer, never in anyone's house.
And that is it. No time warps, no truly outrageous characters or elephant men, and no Agent Cooper or mystery men. David Lynch plays it straight, as it were, never opting for stereotypes or condescencion - this Midwestern world is presented simply and without artifice. That in itself captures something which Lynch has only briefly pinpointed in the past - a heartland of emotions and embraceable humanity. The reason may be that the screenplay is written by Mary Sweeney, Lynch's long-time skillful editor, who once read an article about Straight's long journey in Time magazine, and ever since wanted to make a film about it. Smart move
"Straight Story's" humanity comes from the strength and vigor of Richard Farnsworth, a veteran stuntman who has also given fine performances in "Comes a Horseman" and "The Grey Fox," and here gives a performance of rare dignity. He is essentially a face wrinkled with memories of times past, as when he recounts the horrors of World War II as a sniper, or when he relays the importance of family as a bundle of twigs. Moments like this are priceless, especially for Farnsworth, and he embodies the film with quiet grace and panache. The Academy Awards should recognize this man, as did the Cannes Film Festival with a standing ovation.
David Lynch also gives the film the needed pace and style to match a simple slice of Americana. There are numerous high-angle shots of the farm fields, and the grain elevators working its way through them. These shots are repeated by Lynch to emphasize that life in these parts moves slowly because that is the way of life - there is no need to hurry. In a scene of extraordinary calmness and solitude, Lynch shows Alvin on his lawnmower traveling at 5 miles per hour, and then he pans to the sky followed by a mini dissolve as he pans down and shows that the vehicle has only moved a few feet ahead. This journey may take a while, but Lynch understands that these people can appreciate a good sunset and the aesthetic beauty of the farmlands, or to have a campfire without rushing through deadlines or last-minute events.
Is "Straight Story" such a departure for Lynch overall? Well, a G rating and the fact that it is a Disney picture may put off those accustomed to mutant babies and car accident victims. Don't fret over the choice of material because Lynch certainly has an affinity for these people in the Midwest - the opening scenes unravel much in the way as they did in the famous opening moments of "Blue Velvet." The buildings, the hardware stores, the empty streets, and the woman lying on her lawn chair next to Alvin's house - all beautifully framed and composed by cinematographer Freddie Francis. The lingering shots of Alvin's lawnmower against a desolate landscape will resonate long after the film is over.
1999 has produced more end-of-the-world, milennium thrillers than one cares to count. It is suitably ironic that the Master of Weirdness produced one of the gentlest, most humane films of the 1990's, and Farnsworth's performance beautifully manifests in this world of Midwestern calmness and sincerity. "The Straight Story" is a haunting, touching, poetic film - unforgettable in its sincere attitudes towards the simple aspects of life.
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://buffs.moviething.com/buffs/faust/
E-mail me with questions, concerns or complaints at Faust667@aol.com or at jerry@movieluver.com
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