The Straight Story is a film dedicated to the memory of Alvin Straight, a man who drove from Iowa to Wisconsin to see his sick brother. He made the journey of hundreds of miles on his lawnmower. Yes, it's all true.

 Richard Farnsworth stars as Alvin. This is the story of a man nearing the end of his life, and all that life represents, which happens to be plenty. Alvin lives with one of his daughters (played by Sissy Spacek). When the news comes that his brother has had a stroke, Alvin needs to see his brother and fix up the quarrel that left them estranged years before.

 Not so healthy himself and no longer able to drive, Alvin undertakes the trip on a John Deere sit-down mower. The Straight Story is really a collection of vignettes held together by breathtaking cinematography.

 Along the way, Alvin meets people -- from a runaway teen to a preacher to another WWII vet to complete strangers who take him in -- and what they talk about together is what this film is all about.

 It takes a while to shake off what the movies have led us all to expect and just fall into Alvin's story; no monsters, no untoward events, no secretly villainous people pop up. Just folks.

 Given the hokey/stupid/right-wing crazy way the American heartland is often depicted in films, this one should be required viewing for all big-city residents.

 You could see The Straight Story as a head-on collision between tense modern life and the old ways. At one point, Alvin meets up with a crazed woman who has tried and failed to stop hitting deer on the highway as she commutes madly each day to work. There's an obvious nature-versus-man-made chaos thing happening here; as for Alvin, he quietly cooks and eats the deer.

 Farnsworth, who carries the entire movie, is a mesmerizing presence on the screen. When people ask him if he's not frightened to be travelling the highways alone, he says, "I fought in the trenches in WWII -- why would I be ascared of an Iowa cornfield?"

  He explains what it means to be a brother. He goes over a repair bill with some mechanics and politely shames them into making it fair. What a guy.

 In just under two hours, The Straight Story summarizes an almost-lost generation of people, their values and a certain way of life. This is charming fare, and you could bring your granny to see it with you. Make that charming and rare.

(This film is rated F)

More Movie Reviews