The Straight Story
Every now and then, I look back over the films I’ve reviewed on this blog over the past few years. It’s impressive to see how much gerontological cinema has grown and flourished over the past decade.
But I recently noticed that my list was missing a review of one of the most important and groundbreaking films in the field: The Straight Story. So, rather late—but better late than never.
The Straight Story is a 1999 American road-trip film, directed by David Lynch. The film is based on a true story and follows 73-year-old Alvin Straight (played by Richard Fransworth), who learns that his estranged brother, Lyle, has suffered a stroke. Unable to drive because of poor health and eyesight, and unwilling to rely on anyone else, Alvin sets out from his home in Iowa to visit him in Wisconsin, making the long journey (almost 240 Miles/400 KM) on a small riding lawn mower (which cannot run faster than 5 m/h / 8 km/h max). Along the way, he meets a succession of strangers and fellow travelers, sharing stories and reflecting on family, aging, regret, and the choices that shape a life. The journey is slow and often difficult, but for Alvin it is also a determined effort to reach his brother and make peace before it is too late.
As you can tell from my opening remarks, I consider The Straight Story one of the groundbreaking films in the gerontological film genre.
On a personal level, I first watched it while writing my doctoral dissertation on guardianship of older people and beginning to understand ageism and the negative social construction of old age. In many ways, it was one of my first cinematic encounters with what ageism looks like—and, on the other hand, with what resistance to ageism can look like. Ageism does not necessarily take the form of cruelty or malicious intent. It can also appear as gentle paternalism, as a desire to protect older people. In the film, Alvin’s complex health problems lead those around him, acting with the best of intentions, to try to prevent him from pursuing what he wants: driving on his own to visit his brother.
On the other hand, the film offers a remarkable portrait of resistance to ageism (or what I call today “Ageivism”: an older man, alone and ill, standing up to the system and refusing to give in. He sets out on a journey of hundreds of miles on a riding mower. Despite the difficulties, challenges, and barriers he faces, he does not give up—on himself or on his goal. He fulfills his dream of visiting his brother before he dies.
And the journey… oh, the journey. Alongside the wonderful direction—this is, in my opinion, one of David Lynch’s finest films—and the extraordinary performance by its leading actor, Richard Farnsworth, the cinematography is remarkable. Farnsworth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance, and, tragically, died only a few months after the film’s release. Everything comes together in a remarkable symphony of colors, landscapes, stories, and human encounters—one that, I believe, can change the way viewers see older people and old age.
In my view, this is essential viewing for anyone who works in the field of aging, anyone who studies or researches older people, and anyone who cares deeply about them.
1999
USA
Director: David Lynch
Comments