David Lynch's Most Acclaimed Project Is Not Twin Peaks, but This Forgotten 26-Year-Old Drama
The director's most comprehensible story, which won over both critics and ordinary viewers.
Over the years, many directors develop their own distinctive, easily recognizable style that is hard to confuse with anyone else's. This is partly because they shoot similar stories – those that are closer to them.
But sometimes authors suddenly break all stereotypes and release movies that are completely atypical for them, discovering new facets of their creativity.
David Lynch is perhaps the most important surrealist director of our time, whose films are easy to watch but very difficult to understand.
26 Years Ago, David Lynch Released His Least Complicated Movie
But in addition to the ability to write intricate, enigmatic plots, David clearly has a sense of humor: in 1999, he made a movie with the mocking title The Straight Story, fully aware that his name is associated with words that are the exact opposite of "straight."
And the title does not lie: this is a simple film, without any tricks. The Straight Story is a quiet and incredibly heartfelt movie, completely unlike Lynch, but as masterfully shot as any of the director's surrealist films.
The Straight Story is Lynch's highest-rated film of all his work, both on the big screen and on television – the drama has a 95% from critics and 91% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes. By comparison, Twin Peaks has 78% and 92% respectively.
What Is The Straight Story About?
A 73-year-old resident of a provincial town, Alvin Straight, learns that his brother, with whom he has not spoken in more than ten years, has suffered a stroke. Alvin wants to visit his relative and make peace with him.
The situation is complicated by the fact that the man himself has serious health problems: he can barely stand and see, which is why he does not have a driver's license. There are no direct buses to another state, so he decides to ride a lawn mower from Iowa to Wisconsin.
The Straight Story's Alvin Was Richard Farnsworth's Best Performance
The leading role in The Straight Story was played by Richard Farnsworth. For the elderly actor, the image of a purposeful man was the last in his career.
By the time filming began, Farnsworth was terminally ill. About a year and a half after the premiere of The Straight Story, unable to bear the torment caused by the disease, the actor shot himself with a gun.
It is unknown whether the disease affected Farnsworth's performance, but the role of Mr. Straight was recognized by most critics and viewers as the best in the actor's filmography. And it's hard to disagree.