Episode #332

The Straight Story

(1999)

There’s no one knows your life better than a brother that’s near your age.

For David’s eighth feature, he’s leaving behind the world of nightmares, sex and violence, and instead embracing the heart of Americana: the Greatest Generation. Inspired by the true story of a man who’s too old to drive, so he rides his lawnmower across the country to visit his dying brother, David Lynch has found the perfect vessel through which to display his love for the heartland and times gone by. Richard Farnsworth, in particular, shines here; it’s the last movie he ever made, and he knew during filming that he was dying. So how does it all come together? We discuss.