The Straight Story-The BRWC Review by Josiah Teal
David Lynch‘s The Straight Story is one of the most overlooked films in the Lynch canon. Released directly in the middle of the foreboding Lost Highway, and perhaps his masterpiece, Mulholland Drive, The Straight Story is unique in its normalcy. A biographical road drama released by Walt Disney Pictures seems a far cry from the man renowned for mesmerizing audiences with unnerving surrealism. Yet, The Straight Story earned Lynch a Palme d’Or nomination and an Oscar nod for Richard Farnsworth. Soon to be available for the first time on 4K HD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom, the physical release gives audiences a chance to glimpse an often unseen side of Lynch’s work.
Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) is in his 70s, living in a small Midwestern town, and long estranged from his brother, Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton). After a fall, Alvin receives news that his health is deteriorating. Years of hard living, the passing of his wife, and grief from his days in WWII have started to catch up with the stubborn farmer. In an attempt to reconnect with his brother, Alvin sets out across America on a riding lawnmower to find the last bit of adventure in the twilight of his life. Lynch chronicles the real-life story of Alvin Straight, rich with Americana and the freedom of a swan song.
Richard Farnsworth carries the narrative of The Straight Story. Alvin’s 240-mile odyssey spans the open road, as he meets grounded characters and confronts his own past. Farnsworth conveys emotional nuance and intelligence throughout his performance, especially in his eyes. It’s not Alvin’s tears causing the narrative payoff, but rather his almost tears, the buildup before the break. Whether facing the lightning storm before his journey or reflecting on his war regrets, Farnsworth captures the spirit of a man who lived in hardship but hopes to make amends within himself. Performances outside Farnsworth are rich with kindness, leading to a wholesome nature throughout Lynch’s take on the road drama genre.
Lynch’s long-time collaborator, Mary Sweeney, co-wrote The Straight Story with John Roach. The film serves as John Roach’s lone screenplay, yet it becomes an unexpected tonal shift in Lynch’s work. Sweeney would continue to collaborate with Lynch, editing Mulholland Drive. While The Straight Story lacks the surrealism of Lynch and Sweeney’s other works, it retains some of their quirks and, of course, some Lynchian dialogue. Characters still overreact to simple hangups or underreact to catastrophes; shooting a lawnmower to the point of explosion or arguing about why Alvin fell are prime examples. Among the few classic Lynchisms, Sweeney and Roach pack the script with a sense of warmth and comfort. Uncharacteristic in David Lynch’s work, yet it allows him to showcase his range as a director.
Family-friendly and cozy are far from descriptions for the man who created Eraserhead. However, The Straight Story is far from Eraserhead. The film is still very David Lynch, with idiosyncratic characters, thoughtful compositions, and a score setting the tone. Lynch keeps the heartfelt core and the emotional stakes but resolves rather than rejects catharsis. Alvin’s trek is anchored by Farnsworth’s performance, but through David Lynch’s lens, it transcends the screen and culminates in an earned, deeply human finale.
The physical release of The Straight Story is essential for Lynch fans and cinephiles alike. In an age of streaming, it’s easy to herald Blue Velvet or The Elephant Man; they’re shocking, evocative, made for cinematic discussion. But, taking the time to dive into The Straight Story is no less rewarding. It’s an overlooked and strange time in Lynch’s filmography, but it’s no less David Lynch. Though gone is the dreamlike logic and wild surrealism, David Lynch is no less the master of dreams. Rather than nightmarish dreamscapes or avant-garde nightclubs, the dreams of The Straight Story are as simple as the open road. And through the open road, Lynch reveals a sweetness seldom seen in his canon.
The Straight Story is available on 4K HD and Blu-ray on February 9th
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