Directed by David Lynch • 1999 • United States
Starring Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Harry Dean Stanton

In between the dark, florid surrealism of the LA-set neonoirs LOST HIGHWAY and MULHOLLAND DR., director David Lynch took a detour to America’s heartland for this surprisingly down-to-earth and heartfelt road movie—the film he described, paradoxically, as “my most experimental.” Based on a true story, THE STRAIGHT STORY follows elderly World War II veteran Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) who, unable to operate a car, sets out on a six-week, 240-mile journey from Iowa to Wisconsin by lawn tractor to visit his ailing, estranged brother, a stubborn odyssey that puts a poignant twist on Lynch’s recurring explorations of the American character.