Straight Story

Theatrical Release Date: 1999 10 15 (USA)

UPC: 717951010117

Studio: Walt Disney Video

MPAA Rating: G   Contains:[Suitable for Children]

Summary: David Lynch offers an uncharacteristically straightforward and warmly sentimental approach to his material in this film, based on a true story, about an elderly man's journey to reconcile with his brother. Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) is an ailing widower in his early 70's who lives in Laurens, Iowa with his daughter, Rose (Sissy Spacek), who is mildly retarded and has a speech defect. Alvin doesn't trust doctors, despite suffering from emphysema and a bad hip. Alvin learns that his brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has suffered a stroke and may not have long to live. Alvin and Lyle haven't spoken in 10 years, which Alvin says is mainly a matter of pride and alcohol; Alvin wants to clear his slate with his brother before it's too late. However, Lyle lives in Wisconsin, and Alvin has little money, no car, and no driver's license. He does, however, have a riding lawn mower, and so Alvin hops on board and heads northeast to Wisconsin, hoping to make it while there's still time. Along the way, Alvin makes new friends and refuses to give up on his journey, despite frequent mechanical breakdowns. Richard Farnsworth's performance as Alvin earned him an Academy Award nomination as Best Actor; it would prove to be his final screen appearance, as he died a year after the film's release. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Five Continents Award – European Film Academy Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – null Best Original Score – null Best Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Picture – Independent Spirit Awards Best Director – Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay – Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay – Independent Spirit Awards Best Actor – Independent Spirit Awards Best Actor – New York Film Critics Circle Best Cinematography – New York Film Critics Circle Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Theatrical trailer
5.1 Surround
Widescreen [2.35:1] enhanced for 16x9 televisions

Straight Story

Format: DVD

Release Date: 11/07/2000

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 112 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Keith Phipps

A G-rated, Disney-produced, family-friendly film from David Lynch seemed like a fairly questionable prospect at the time, but The Straight Story turned out to be the perfect choice for the director, allowing him to extricate himself from the nihilist-cool corner into which he'd been painted and make one of his best films in the process. Though a departure in many respects, the film also has a lot more in common with Lynch's past work than might be immediately apparent. For those who had accused Lynch of merely presenting freak shows against the backdrop of apple pie America, The Straight Story serves as a reminder that he generally sympathized with the freaks, even if he maintained a taste for apple pie. Richard Farnsworth's character embodies both aspects, a sweet patriarch whose dogged singlemindedness makes him a freak, his peculiar vehicle of choice and willingness to provide commentary causing nearly everyone he encounters to reevaluate the current status of their lives. The generous slowness of Lynch's pacing nicely matches the subtlety of Farnsworth's performance, one of hidden depths only revealed when allowed time and concentration. As with the lead, so it is with the movie, a heartfelt testament to the importance of family values -- with none of the judgmental politics usually attached to that phrase. ~ Keith Phipps, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Angelo Badalamenti  Composer (Music Score) 
David Lynch  Director 
Alain Sarde  Producer 
Michael Polaire  Executive Producer 
John F. Roach  Screenwriter 
Pierre Edelman  Executive Producer 
Mary Sweeney  Producer 
Mary Sweeney  Screenwriter 
Richard Farnsworth  Actor 
Sissy Spacek  Actor 
Jane Galloway Heitz  Actor 
Everett McGill  Actor 
Jennifer Edwards-Hughes  Actor 
Barbara Robertson  Actor 
John Farley  Actor 
John Lordan  Actor 
Harry Dean Stanton  Actor 

Country: France,USA