The Straight Story (Import-Japan, Region A Blu-ray)

True story !!

My wife and I had seen this movie back when it first came out, and then forgot about it. Then one day I was looking on Amazon for DVDs to purchase and found "The Straight Story" and remembered how I had enjoyed it before. Through the wonders of Amazon Prime, it showed up on my porch a couple of days later.The story is a fairly simple one; an elderly man, Alvin Straight, played by Richard Farnsworth, learns that his brother in Wisconsin has fallen ill, and decides to visit him. But he has a problem - due to his own health problems he no longer has a drivers license. So he hooks a home built trailer onto his riding mower and sets off to visit his brother. The movie is the story of his journey.There are several thing that I like about this movie. First it is based on a true story, and is set in Iowa. The entire movie is shot along the actual locations that the real Alvin Straight took. The photography is beautiful, the locales are beautiful, and it tugs at the heartstrings of this boy of the middle of the USA.Second, there is no sex or violence. I realized after watching the movie how conditioned I have come when watching modern movies to expect something violent or sexual to happen at some point. Some one get killed, someone has an affair - you know what I mean. In the back of my mind I kept expecting something to happen, but it never does. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a boring movie. And Alvin has some close scrapes along the way, but it was so refreshing to not have the movie cheapened by inserting something violent or sexual into it.Third are the characters. I have always liked Richard Farnsworth in the movies, and here he does a wonderful job. Sissy Spacek, who plays his daughter, does a wonderful job as the woman with the speech impediment, taking care of her father while pining for the children she has lost. The people he meets along the way are great also. I don't know if they are professional actors, or extras from Iowa, but the do a great job of playing the small town, decent, salt of the earth people Alvin meets on his journey.Finally, and most importantly, I like the message of the movie. It is a story about reconciliation. Reconciliation primarily between Alvin and his brother, who had a falling out a decade earlier over something that no longer matters. But reconciliation is a continuing theme throughout the movie - Alvin reconciling himself to the reality of his failing health and steadily shortening life time. Sissy Spacek reconciling herself with her dad's journey that she disapproves of and her loss of her children. The reconciliation of the runaway pregnant teenager Alvin meets along the way with her family that she imagines hates her for becoming pregnant. The reconciliation of the bickering twin brothers who repair his lawn tractor when it breaks down along the way. And the reconciliation of Alvin and a fellow World War Two veteran he meets to the horror they experienced many years ago that still haunts their memories.This isn't a flashy action movie, no special effect, no frenetic action. But it is a story that grownups (I won't use the term adults as that has a whole different connotation) will watch and enjoy. Highly recommended!

I was searching around at a used CD store and came across a score composed by Angelo Badalamenti for a film that I had never heard of entitled "The Straight Story". While the I found the score to be very enjoyable, I was even more curious about the film itself and decided to do a little research to find out more. I discovered that this Disney film was actually based on the true story of Alvin Straight's 240 journey to visit his ailing brother. What makes this journey so extraordinary is the fact that Mr. Straight travelled the 240 miles on a 1966 John Deere lawn mower. Rolling along at around 5 mph, the journey took the 73 year old somewhere in the neighborhood of 5 weeks to complete. After watching some videos and even a "Mysteries at the Museum" episode concerning the event, I decided to order a copy of the film.The film stars Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight and Sissy Spacek as his daughter Rose. The two performers are simply outstanding in these roles and the film, which was directed by David Lynch, is full of unforgettable moments, great lines, and wonderful sentimental scenes that can really tug at your heartstrings. The scenery and the people that Alvin meets along the way will have you hoping that a world like that still exists. Kindness, love of family, and the wisdom of old age are some of the themes presented within the story. There are so many great scenes in the movie and one that stands out to me, for some reason, is when Alvin is buying the "grabber" at the hardware store. I don't want to spoil the scene if you haven't seen the film, but the acting is just superb and it reminds me of some folks that I grew up around when I was a kid. I love how Alvin compares family to a bundle of sticks and the very memorable line concerning the worst thing about growing old...."is remembering when you were young". Wow. The film is definitely a hidden treasure and I enjoyed it immensely. I'm so glad that I stumbled across the score for the film because otherwise I don't think I would of ever heard of the film or the real life story that it is based upon.I guess a Blu-Ray version of the film has been released but it doesn't look like an American release so I opted for the cheaper DVD version. The DVD version has a very strange looking cover (looks just like the one pictured currently - photo surrounded by gold border). There are no special features included with the DVD version other than the original theatrical trailer. I was hoping they would include a short documentary about the real story...but it didn't. The film looks fine to me for a DVD and while many of us are getting spoiled with Blu-Ray and 4k picture...the "primitive" DVD format did not hinder my enjoyment of the film at all. Surprisingly, my 6 year old came in when I started watching the movie and ended up watching the whole thing. I thought it would be too slow but he stayed because he wanted to see if the "old man would make it to his brother". Anyway, it's a great film and maybe some others will discover it too like I did. It'll sure speak volumes to you if you listen and we sure could use a little bit of this in today's world for sure.

Richard Farnsworth & Sissy Spacek superb. Great flick for adults.

One of those important films to watch in your life and be aware that the film is a sequence of meetings between Alvin, played by the late Richard Farnsworth, and people who he meets on the road mostly played by non actors, just ordinary people, as Alvin trundles along on a ride-on lawn mower to visit his estranged brother. They come over as just ordinary folk but with a story to tell and their stories are poignant which is what drives the plot and director Lynch draws from Farnsworth equal poignancy.A real trap for directors and writers you might think but it is carried off very well as long as you are prepared for the lack of car chases, violence, sex, nudity and CGI's ---- this really is a meandering little story of the interaction between people, the pain of their memories, their fallibilitys and ultimately their search for redemption. I don't mean that to sound melodramatic because we all suffer and experience those feelings and the film explores those emotions through the passing interactions between Alvin and the people who try to help him.Some beautiful music throughout by Angelo Badalamenti, more famed for his award winning melodic work on Lynch's 'Twin Peaks', and there is a certain 'flavour' that comes over very recognizable. Production design by Jack Fisk who has worked with Lynch and Terrence Malick many times (they're all in the same bunch with a related style if you know what I mean). Cinematography by Freddie Francis (of Hammer film fame) ---- let me be honest and imagine that Lynch told him that this film has no vampires or werewolves and Francis may have replied OK I'll do plenty of roads and crops ---- there is a lot of that, quite beautiful. I'm reminded of a friend who was recently taken on a safari in South Africa by his wife and said, when I asked him if he enjoyed it, that when you've seen one deer you've seen them all. Please ! Please !Sadly the late great Harry Dean Stanton's appearance is like a puff of smoke at the end of the film. But the film is what it is, perhaps best described as an observational road trip.107 minutes long, no extras. Though the dvd is not advertised as having subtitles it HAS English subtitles ---- forgive me but I've lent this film out so many times the disc is missing from the case, and I have a notation on the jacket that English subs are present ------- track and trace necessary! I watched the film on Film 4 (04-07-20).

If you like fast action films, then this film is not for you. If, however, slow human stories are to your liking, then I recommend this film. Based on a true, if unlikely, story about 2 brothers, who, in the past, had a disagreement that resulted in them not speaking for years. Then, Alvin, finds out his brother has had a stroke. Alvin thinks about the situation & resolves to visit his brother. Alvin has 2 problems, 1 his brother lives some hundreds of miles away & 2 he doesn't have enough money to go there. He resolves the situation by deciding to go on his battered lawnmower. As unlikely as it seems, to most people, that's exactly what he sets out to do. It is a heart warming tale of interactions with those he meets on his journey. Be aware that the DVD case says no subtitles, however there are. These are particularly helpful during some distance shots that the film employs.

Simply put,this is Lynch’s best film. This completely blind-sided me with it’s simplicity,decency and honesty. The landscapes slide by to an accompanying soundtrack of mellow country-folk as he gently steers the story of an ageing Everyman on an alternative kind of road-trip-to-redemption story. I love Lynch’s quirky,dark,dystopian vision and here there is none of it. This is just pure story telling mixed in with a patient eye for colour,hue and scenery. And camera sun flares........ lovely in every way with a last scene steal from Harry Dean of course.

I will never tire of watching this film.I first saw this film back in 2000 and it has not lost any of its magic.The film tells the true story of Alvin Straight, who in 1994, then 73 years old but with failing eyes and bad legs, drives his riding mower 260 miles to visit his estranged brother who has recently suffered a stroke.A truly heartwarming masterpiece. Though simple in it’s conception the direction and acting is first class.A must watch :-)

What a pleasant way to spend a couple of hours! I found this film interesting and engaging; entertaining and amusing. David Lynch’s films are usually a little odd but he stays very much on the straight and narrow here.This offering won’t blow you away but it will leave you with a feeling of satisfaction at the close. There are some great little cameos tucked away in here, non-more so than when Alvin is negotiating his repair bills or divulging his awful secret from WW11.His charm is that he is very street wise, candid in his convictions, but also willing to give the folks he meets the benefit of his experience - the young female hitch hiker for instance? Oh yes, he also likes hot dogs!However, just because age is on his side, it doesn’t necessarily mean that he gets it all right? This journey is made as a realization that certain things have to be put right – before it’s too late!Sadly, as previously mentioned in other reviews, Richard Farnsworth had cancer whilst making this film. A year later its diagnosis was terminal; Richard shot himself at his 60 acre ranch in New Mexico. He was nominated for several major ‘best actor’ awards for this role - it’s a pity they escaped him. Nonetheless, he still had a very satisfactory career in film and television.