The Straight Story

Name: The Straight Story
Director: David Lynch
Genre: Drama, History
Released: 1999-10-15
Rating: 8.2

October 15, 1999· 1h 52m

Drama History

Directed by

David Lynch

Cast

Richard Farnsworth Sissy Spacek Jane Galloway Heitz Joseph A. Carpenter Donald Wiegert Tracey Maloney +30 more ↓

Cinemagraphs Score8.2

Retired farmer and widower Alvin Straight learns one day that his distant brother Lyle has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. He then has the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.

Audience Sentiment

Overall8.2

1 — Hated it5 — Neutral10 — Masterpiece

Critics

8+ Great

6-8 Good

<6 Poor

18 reviews·Last updated 2d ago

Peak Moment

Brothers reunited under the stars

9.3at 1h 48m

Lowest Moment

Meeting Alvin and Rose

7.2at 4m

Biggest Swing

From the deliberately slow opening that some found tedious to the deeply moving veteran's bar scene that multiple critics called the emotional heart of the film

Critics consistently praised The Straight Story for transcending its simple premise through authentic performances and Lynch's restrained direction. While some found the opening slow, audience sentiment builds steadily as Alvin's journey unfolds, peaking with the war veteran scene and the final brotherly reconciliation that reviewers found genuinely earned and moving.

18 reviews analyzed|Sources: Imdb, Tmdb