The Straight Story

Discussion of all things David Lynch

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Erwin
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The Straight Story

Post by Erwin »

A shame there's no section for this film on the main page.

When this film came out, I guess I was in a period where I didn't go to the cinema often. I didn't get to see this film until I bought the UK DVD in 2003/4(?). I bought my first DVD player in spring 2003, and wasn't really into film like I am now before I went region free in summer 2005.

The Straight Story was love on first sight, though. Better late than never. :wink:
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Annie
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Post by Annie »

I know it would be nice to have a section for every single movie. I'm not sure that's Brian's intention. If we have enough requests for the "left-out" ones, I'm sure he'll start a thread. I'll let him know there's an interest.
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FaceInTheLeaves
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Post by FaceInTheLeaves »

I love The Straight Story too. I know Mark Kermode described it as Forrest Gump on a lawnmower but it's a beautiful film and IMHO it's criminally underrated.
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Post by dugpa »

I had thought about adding a section however, I'm worried about there being too many dead forums. I'll let you all be the judges. If I get at least 10 requests in this thread then I'll go ahead and put one up.

-B
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Red Room
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Post by Red Room »

dugpa wrote:I had thought about adding a section however, I'm worried about there being too many dead forums. I'll let you all be the judges. If I get at least 10 requests in this thread then I'll go ahead and put one up.

-B
Request... ;-)

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moviemaker
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Post by moviemaker »

Really *LOVE* The Straight Story. There are some definite Lynch moments and that sense of humor is ever present. A classic indeed.

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Auggeo
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Post by Auggeo »

Its one of my favourite films. It has a soul just like "The elephant man".
I think every person in this world should be oblige to see this film. I see so many destroyed families because of so many "stupid" and "silly" things. This movie makes me wanna hug my family..when i see it, i feel much closer to them.
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Dining With Diane
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by Dining With Diane »

the straight story is definitely an outlier. if Twin peaks/FWWM are happening in a dream as Phillip Jeffries said in his brief return to the FBI office, then the Straight Story is probably the waking world that particular dream originated from.

edit to add: I think having its own thread would be quite nice. Dune, Elephant Man, and Wild at Heart are also Lynch directing someone else's story, so it can stand amongst those and still stand out as being the only David Lynch movie with a G rating, true story, and Disney release.

the themes of aging and forgiving yourself/others that are such a big part of this movie could be relevant to Twin Peaks Season 3, as well.
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LostInTheMovies
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by LostInTheMovies »

Request #5! Don't know if the offer still stands 9 years later but I would definitely dig a Straight Story thread, indeed one for each Lynch film even if they didn't see much action.

It might be his most well-reviewed film (MD gets the highest praise but has some vociferous detractors, ditto BV to a slightly lesser extent, and EM was certainly praised but Ebert at least wasn't converted till SS!). But among Lynch fans I think it's his most underrated, or at least gets the least attention (the 2 other big outliers, Dune and Elephant Man, seem to get discussed more).

In terms of favorites, I'd probably place Straight Story in my top 3 Lynchs. There is something so quintessentially Lynchian about the "flavor"/mood/atmosphere even if not in a Lynchian way. It reminds me very much of the rustic, moody, almost autumnal feeling of the pilot or parts of FWWM (especially Deer Meadow). In terms of its sense of place, although Iowa and Wisconsin are a long way from Washington state this feels like the Lynch film closest to Twin Peaks. I guess it's the small town thing (Blue Velvet always felt a little "bigger" to me with its apartment buildings and busy downtown, plus it's very mid-Atlantic/"upper"-Southern even if it was SUPPOSED to be Pacific Northwest originally).
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Gabriel
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by Gabriel »

LostInTheMovies wrote:Request #5! Don't know if the offer still stands 9 years later but I would definitely dig a Straight Story thread, indeed one for each Lynch film even if they didn't see much action.

It might be his most well-reviewed film (MD gets the highest praise but has some vociferous detractors, ditto BV to a slightly lesser extent, and EM was certainly praised but Ebert at least wasn't converted till SS!). But among Lynch fans I think it's his most underrated, or at least gets the least attention (the 2 other big outliers, Dune and Elephant Man, seem to get discussed more).

In terms of favorites, I'd probably place Straight Story in my top 3 Lynchs. There is something so quintessentially Lynchian about the "flavor"/mood/atmosphere even if not in a Lynchian way. It reminds me very much of the rustic, moody, almost autumnal feeling of the pilot or parts of FWWM (especially Deer Meadow). In terms of its sense of place, although Iowa and Wisconsin are a long way from Washington state this feels like the Lynch film closest to Twin Peaks. I guess it's the small town thing (Blue Velvet always felt a little "bigger" to me with its apartment buildings and busy downtown, plus it's very mid-Atlantic/"upper"-Southern even if it was SUPPOSED to be Pacific Northwest originally).
It really is just a beautiful film. As a Briton, a lot of what we perceive of America is metropolitan areas or Canadian cities being made up to look like American metropolitan areas. It's great to see film about ordinary people living ordinary lives in ordinary towns.

That line about acknowledging that you will never do certain things again breaks my heart. I see it as my parents get older and as friends have become terminally ill. It's actually a particularly affecting film to watch as you head into middle age, as I am now.

The British release of the film has been pretty weak: there's an old encode DVD kicking around, but that's it. I eventually saw the film a couple of years back when I picked up an Apple TV and bought the film in HD on iTunes.

I also love that it's about a singleminded man who sets out on a task and damn anyone or any ailment that gets in his way.
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piero
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by piero »

I requested this GREAT movie years ago. So, here I am again! I love this movie. One of my favourite too. Please make it happen. Lynch told a few touching story about Richard Farnsworth. He said he was a real cowboy. May he rest easy.
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LostInTheMovies
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by LostInTheMovies »

Recently been talking with the Twin Peaks Unwrapped podcast folks about them covering David Lynch films down the line, and asking if I wanted to guest on any - and this was the one I chose! In fact, I'm almost as excited to talk about it as Fire Walk With Me. There's just something about its essence which feels to me much like Twin Peaks. I suppose it has to do with the rural location and the communitarian vibe (although FWWM doesn't really highlight either of those aspects - maybe the rural a bit in the Deer Meadow section - and I still get that feeling from it too).
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David Locke
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by David Locke »

I agree that there's a kind of Twin Peaks or Deer Meadow feel to much of The Straight Story. Though obviously much nicer than the latter!

Lynch is I feel in total control of his form in this film. Also, the many slow dissolves he uses (plentiful in his other films, but never as much as here) are absolutely gorgeous and fittingly tie the film back to the old-fashioned cinema of the 50s and before, lending a stately and elegant aura to everything -- in addition to a certain recognition of time inevitably passing, life passing one by.

What's also memorable in TSS is the way small, often subtly unsettling details accumulate out of banal situations. Lynch manages to make Alvin's freefall down the road while the house is burning quite disturbing and evocative even though he's directed so many more explicitly fucked up things. It's difficult to describe but the whole film is kind of like a moving painting in which certain bewildering objects in the background only catch your eye after a little while -- certainly not as deceptively upbeat or simple a work as it seems. The discourse surrounding it needs to get past the Lynch-makes-a-Disney-movie narrative and actually look at the film as it is and accept the possibility that even though it is G-rated it is still a Lynch film through and through, full of silence and dark connotations and unearthly sounds and death-haunted images.
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by Snailhead »

A beautiful film. I don't find it to be an anomaly within Lynch's oeuvre - the atmosphere and pacing are firmly rooted in his unique style. I think it's one of his best films, and if forced to rank it I'm tempted to place it 4th after Inland Empire, Mulholland Drive, and Fire Walk With Me.

When Alvin sees Lyle at the end, it never fails to elicit a few tears.

Edit: Count me in as another request.
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Diane
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Re: The Straight Story

Post by Diane »

Got the Japanese Blu-ray of this today.
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