This 95%-Rated Masterpiece Is David Lynch's Most Atypical & Overlooked Movie

David Lynch is a director whose work has become synonymous with surrealism, disturbing dreams, and waking nightmares. Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks, and Mulholland Drive are works that will make you want to take a shower and check if you're seeing double.

Then, in 1999, Lynch released The Straight Story. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor and a warm reception at Cannes, but it also baffled Lynch fans with its clarity.

What Is 'The Straight Story' About?

Alvin, a 73-year-old farmer from Iowa, learns that his older brother Lyle, whom he hasn't spoken to in over ten years, has had a stroke.

Alvin has vision and health problems, and he can't drive. However, he refuses to use public transportation out of stubbornness, commitment to solitude, and love of independence.

So, he decides to hit the road on an old 1966 John Deere lawn mower. The journey will take six weeks.

'The Straight Story' Is Based on Real Life Events

In June of 1994, 73-year-old Alvin Straight embarked on this journey. After learning that his brother had a stroke, he left his home in Laurens, Iowa, on a lawnmower. Six weeks later, he reached Blue River, Wisconsin.

The story became a sensation, but Straight rejected fame outright: he refused interviews, avoided talk shows, and ignored journalists.

Mary Sweeney, Lynch's producer, read about Straight in a newspaper and spent four years persuading the director to make a movie about him. Lynch resisted but eventually gave in and created what he calls the most experimental film of his career.

Despite Its Clear-Cut Nature, 'The Straight Story' Is Truly a Lynchian Film

At first glance, this isn't typical Lynch: there are no nightmares, surrealism, or eerie subtexts. However, the director himself believed otherwise. For him, The Straight Story was an experiment, an attempt to tell a story without stylization, wandering through the unconscious, or the usual cinematic tricks.

In this naked simplicity, Lynch's abilities are revealed best: seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary, sensing the horror hidden beneath a neatly trimmed lawn, and hearing music in silence.

Alvin Straight is a character like all of Lynch's other heroes: relentlessly yearning for love and fighting for his dignity. However, his struggle takes place not in a world of nightmares but in a world where the greatest tests are time and distance.

The final scene of The Straight Story, in which the brothers sit side by side in silence, is perhaps the most touching moment in Lynch's entire filmography.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'The Straight Story'?

• The Straight Story has 95% from critics and 91% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 8.0/10.

• On Letterboxd, The Straight Story scored 4.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'The Straight Story'?

The Straight Story is available to stream on Disney+.