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The Straight Story

Play trailer Poster for The Straight Story G 1999 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
95% Tomatometer 113 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) learns one day that his distant brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. Then he hits on the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.
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The Straight Story

The Straight Story

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Critics Consensus

With strong performances and director David Lynch at the helm, The Straight Story steers past sentimental byways on its ambling journey across the American heartland.

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Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian Mar 12, 2026
4/5
The Straight Story is a heartwarmer of the sort that Lynch arguably hadn’t attempted since his version of The Elephant Man in 1980, and this was without that element of the grotesque. Go to Full Review Kat Sachs Chicago Reader Apr 25, 2025
Sometimes a director’s best film and maybe even their most characteristic, if you really think about it, is the one you might least expect, as can be the surprising nature of auteurism. Go to Full Review Dan Kois Slate Jan 21, 2025
When the movie’s end arrives, it’s a scene of cosmic beauty, accompanied by Angelo Badalamenti’s ethereal score—pure cinematic liftoff, a triumph of writing, direction, acting, casting, all the things that make a movie take flight. Go to Full Review Josiah Teal Battle Royale With Cheese Feb 15, 2026
Rather than nightmarish dreamscapes or avant-garde nightclubs, the dreams of The Straight Story are as simple as the open road. And through the open road, Lynch reveals a sweetness seldom seen in his canon. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Feb 10, 2026
4/5
…The Straight Story is a very untypical David Lynch movie in that it’s a straight, rather than a twisted tale, but it’s unmistakably Lynchian from soup to nuts…marries a wholesome, folksy charm with a stark insight into mortality… Go to Full Review Jack Hawkins HeyUGuys Feb 9, 2026
4/5
The Straight Story may be understated to a fault, but it resists everything that is cloying, cliched and trite with superlative naturalism. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Eric W @RandlePMcMurphy Oct 17, 2026 Richard Farnsworth looked just like my grandfather in law who passed away about 10 years ago. Probably his favorite thing to do was to put on his floppy hat and hop on his riding mower, which he was always working on if he wasn’t mowing. It was impossible for me to not see him when watching this. Miss you Harvey……. See more Robert P @Superbad Oct 7, 2026 The Straight Story is a *5* star Movie! See more Jon P @JonPop Sep 9, 2026 Sublime film. Human. Tender. Full of beautiful imagery. See more Mike M @XJ10Toy Sep 8, 2026 boiled down to its most simple essence, a story about a man and his drive to see his estranged brother. See more Vaughn M @Chpow1010 Aug 5, 2026 A hidden gem that is a must watch. See more Mickey B @Mickerdoo Aug 3, 2026 The only thing slower than Alvin’s mower was the rate of storytelling. Excruciatingly slow for a fluff piece story. See more Read all reviews
The Straight Story

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Cast & Crew

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David Lynch

Director

Richard Farnsworth

Alvin Straight

Sissy Spacek

Rose 'Rosie' Straight

Jane Galloway Heitz

Dorothy, Straight's Next-Door Neighbor

Everett McGill

Tom the John Deere Dealer

Jennifer Edwards-Hughes

Brenda, the Grocery Clerk

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The Straight Story

The Straight Story (1999) The Straight Story (1999) The Straight Story (1999) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) learns one day that his distant brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. Then he hits on the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.
Director
David Lynch
Producer
Neal Edelstein, Mary Sweeney
Screenwriter
John Roach, Mary Sweeney
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co
Asymmetrical Productions, Walt Disney Pictures, CiBy 2000, Channel Four Films, Le Studio Canal +, Les Films Alain Sarde
Rating
G
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 21, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 11, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.2M
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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