The Straight Story

"A true story that proves a little determination goes a very, very long way."

1999 1h 52m EN

🙌

7.7

BANGER

🔥

95%

CERTIFIED FRESH

💯

METACRITIC

⭐

IMDB

★7.7TMDB · 1,897🍅95%Rotten Tomatoes●86Metacritic★8IMDB · 106,340

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Retired farmer and widower Alvin Straight learns one day that his estranged brother Lyle has suffered a severe stroke. 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. He then has the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.

“A true story that proves a little determination goes a very, very long way.”

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Cast

Richard Farnsworth
Alvin
Sissy Spacek
Rose
Jane Galloway Heitz
Dorothy
Joseph A. Carpenter
Bud
Donald Wiegert
Sig
Tracey Maloney
Nurse
Dan Flannery
Doctor Gibbons
Jennifer Edwards
Brenda

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: David Lynch
Writers: John Roach, Mary Sweeney
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 64% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by David Lynch, shot by Freddie Francis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Angelo Badalamenti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Mary Sweeney shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek and Jane Galloway Heitz carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A true story that proves a little determination goes a very, very long way.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

David Lynch directs. Freddie Francis behind the camera. Angelo Badalamenti scores. Mary Sweeney cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, United Kingdom, France. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 64% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
227 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 3 countries: United States of America, United Kingdom, France.
4Directed by David Lynch, shot by Freddie Francis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Angelo Badalamenti. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Mary Sweeney shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek and Jane Galloway Heitz carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "A true story that proves a little determination goes a very, very long way.".
9IMDB entry: tt0166896 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 22 themes, including "sibling relationship", "forgiveness", "wisconsin", "lawnmower".
11Released under 10 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Freddie Francis
Original score: Angelo Badalamenti
Editing: Mary Sweeney
Production design: Jack Fisk
Costume design: Patricia Norris
Makeup / hair: Bob Harper
Sound: John Neff
Stunt coordinator: Rick LeFevour
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $10,000,000
Box office: $6,418,028
Return: 64% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): G
IMDB: The Straight Story (1999)
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 86/100
IMDB rating: 8/10 · 106,340 votes
MPAA: G

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 19 wins & 40 nominations total

Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor
European Film Award for Best Non-European Film

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

David Lynch

Stills · wallpapers

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Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2016-02-21
★ 9/10
I want to thank you for your kindness to a stranger. An absolute delight. From director David Lynch, The Straight Story finds the famous purveyor of the oblique on wonderfully mellow form. Story finds a superb Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight, an old boy long in the tooth who sets off across America on his lawn mower to visit his estranged brother. You see, he doesn't have a driving licence, so lawn mower is the viable form of transport. Lynch and writers John Roach & Mary Sweeney have offered up a wry and astute observation of Americana. The journey Alvin takes involves him meeting a number of eccentrics and confused souls, which pitches Alvin as our conduit to a rich view of the life we have - or will - live. Culminating in a finale that rewards anyone with an intelligent soul. The message is clear. A beautiful film for the beautiful of heart. 9/10
r96sk2020-10-11
★ 9/10
Beautifully made film. It's a difficult one to describe. <em>'The Straight Story'</em> features a very touching, true life, story about Alvin Straight. It's a very simple premise but one that the film brings to life wonderfully. There's a crap tonne of heart, alongside some brilliant cinematography and a top notch score. Richard Farnsworth plays the role of Alvin expertly, it's an outstanding performance from him. Credit also to Sissy Spacek, who makes an impact as Rose despite not really being in the film for all that long. Harry Dean Stanton (Lyle) makes an appearance, too. It's a slow burn but one that's totally worth the 112 minute run time. What a great way to end the millennium for Disney's live-action theatrical releases.
CinemaSerf2026-01-06
★ 7/10
I’ve seen loads of road movies over the years, but never one that involved an elderly gent travelling from Iowa to the adjacent Wisconsin driving his lawnmower! “Alvin” (Richard Farnsworth) is a curmudgeonly seventy-something whose health and mobility are failing and who lives with his daughter “Rose” (Sissy Spacek) - a lady without her own problems to seek, too! When he learns that his estranged brother “Lyle” has had a stroke, he determines to visit him after a ten year hiatus. The bus, the train, a plane? Nope. He hitches a trailer to his grass cutter and off he goes. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t get very far before it blows a gasket. Back to square one, he still chooses to shun more traditional (and comfortable) modes of transport and spends what’s left of his savings on a slightly more upmarket tractor - think a wheeled version of a pygmy hippo. As he travels, he encounters a selection of people with whom he engages, eats, shares stories, venison, and even essential repairs and this journey of reflection helps him to put into better perspective just what led to their sibling separation; what caused his daughter’s “illness” and what the future could hold for him if only he gave it a chance. It’s also quite a pleasing vindication of the human spirit as those he meets up with are invariably helpful, interested and sympathetic - even when he isn’t always the easiest to get on with. Farnsworth is entirely natural here (he reminded me a lot of Will Geer) as his rut-like existence becomes laid bare to his own eyes. There’s nothing really contentious here either, it’s just a quirky first-gear cruise down a road of memories, friendship and opportunity and it’s almost entirely devoid of any cloying sentiment, too.