The Straight Story
While the likes of Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive are regularly singled out by fans and critics as the director David Lynch’s best work, 1999’s real-life tale of a pensioner’s unconventional journey to find sibling reconciliation is a beautiful ode to the American road trip, albeit at a snail’s pace.
Featuring arguably to the finest lead performance in a Lynch film, Richard Farnsworth (who narrowly missed out on an Oscar) is tremendously moving as the fiercely stubborn Alvin Straight, and the actor’s own experience and wisdom is obvious in every line and contour of his face. A scene towards the end of the film, where Alvin shares a quiet, reflective moment with a fellow war vet, is an absolute masterclass in acting subtlety. The director’s regular music collaborator Angelo Badalamenti ties things together with his uncharacteristically wholesome, heartrending score.
The film’s title could also be construed as an admission by the director that it was intended to be his most universally accessible work. Who knew he could have catered for both fans and a general audience so perfectly?
