The Straight Story ****
Drama; starring Richard Farnsworth and Sissy Spacek; directed by David Lynch (Walt Disney Home Video)
A true late bloomer, Richard Farnsworth picked up a well-deserved Oscar nod for his role as Alvin Straight, an aging farmer who drives his tractor from Iowa to Wisconsin to visit his estranged and ailing brother. The film's magnificent midwestern vistas shrink on video, but the heart of this gentle dirge to lost youth and lost time remains intact. Lynch paces the film to the meandering of Straight's John Deere, emphasizing the small moments with an intimacy that's perfect for home videoing. -K.M.
Copyright 2000 Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Inc
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