Tonight I watched David Lynch's The Straight Story (1999) for the first time. The soundtrack has been one of my most-played CDs for years. It was given to me a while ago by someone who knew that I'm a fan of Angelo Badalamenti.
Richard Farnsworth is - as usual - understated and brilliant as the aging and frail Alvin Straight. Estranged from his brother for 10 years he decides, on hearing his brother is ill, that he must see him and make amends. Not well enough to drive a car, he decides to drive his John Deere lawn mower about 350 miles, hauling a makeshift trailer behind him. Along the way he meets an assortment of characters and you hear more of his story, and some of their stories. The photography is stunning and the camera travels slowly over the beautiful fall Iowa scenery. It's a pace that feels comfortable for an old man whose eye sight is fading and for whom every movement is painful.
Alvin tells a young hitchhiker this story about his kids when they were young:
"I'd give each one of 'em a stick and, one for each one of 'em, then I'd say, 'You break that.' Course they could real easy. Then I'd say, 'Tie them sticks in a bundle and try to break that.' Course they couldn't. Then I'd say, 'That bundle... that's family.'"
A dear friend lost a brother last night and so this film takes on a special meaning with its themes of aging, loss, love, and family.
3 comments:
A wonderful film. Just got the soundtrack last week.
Another Farnsworth gem is 'The Grey Fox,' although it's hard to find.
~p
That's another I've been meaning to see. Thanks P.
Grey Fox is awesome. I will add "The Straight Story to my Tivo list.
Post a Comment