1991 film directed by
David Lynch and starring
Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight. After hearing that his estranged brother has been disabled by a stroke, Straight decides to go visit his brother in order to repair their relationship (to set things straight, as it were). The only problem is that Alvin is 73, can hardly see, doesn't have a drivers license, and cares for his semi-retarded daughter, played by
Sissy Spacek.
Undaunted, Straight trades in his ancient ride-on lawnmower for a '70s-vintage Deere lawn tractor, builds a big trailer for it, and sets off across the state of Wisconsin.
It's a charming, simple story (straightforward, so to speak), and based on the real Alvin Straight. The performances by Farnsworth and (especially) Spacek are understated and fun to watch. Lynch's extreme twistedness (see Blue Velvet) is almost completely absent from the film, except where it lends some wry humor and a touch of grit, both of which drain the syrupiness that any other director would have given it.