The City of Absurdity   The Straight Story1999
"Tenderness can be just as abstract as insanity."

 

in memory of Richard Farnsworth 1920-2000

About the Film | Synopsis | Reviews | Interviews & Articles
Pictures | Film Data | Cannes Coverage | On Location | Soundtrack
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Winner of the European Film Award
SCREEN INTERNATIONAL AWARD BEST NON-EUROPEAN FILM 1999
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  About the Film

David Lynch (Director)

"It's a very slow road movie."

"This is a story about old age. And it's a story about a man's life. Richard Farnsworth is one of the most special people I've ever met. So much comes through from way deep inside. I've never seen anything like it. And it's a beautiful thing to see his face. His face says so much and in the script you learn about a regular man's life. And what he's gone through is similar to a lotta people."

"It was the emotion of the script that Mary Sweeney and John Roach wrote, and I think it's the phenomenon of forgiveness, it's what struck me."

"When you go down down the autobahn, say you're going a hundred and sixty miles down, you don't see much and things move very fast. But meanwhile nature goes at its own speed. I just saw this Monet show at Paris. That painter goes every day and he looks the same thing but goes deeper and deeper. And it proves there is stuff everywhere to discover."

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Richard Farnsworth (Alvin Straight)

"Imagine this man, wanting to visit a brother. He can't see to drive and the only way he can get there is to ride a lawn tractor. It's, a good script. There are lots of interesting things that happen to him on his trip. I've been around a long time and I know, this is something special."

"I admired him very much and tried to be as much like his character as I could, talked to two of his boys, who are now truck drivers, and we filmed along his actual route. Every time we stopped somewhere, people would come by and say, 'Heck, I remember when old Alvin came through,' and tell us about it."

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Peter Schneider (President of Walt Disney Motion Picture Group)

"It's a beautiful movie about values, forgiveness and healing and celebrates America."

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  Cast & Crew

Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight
Sissy Spacek as Rose Straight (Alvin's daughter)
Harry Dean Stanton as Lyle

Directed by David Lynch
Written by Mary Sweeney, John Roach
Produced by Mary Sweeney, Neil Edelstein, Alain Sarde
Executive Producer Pierre Edelman, Michael Polaire

Director of Photography Freddie Francis
Edited by Mary Sweeney
Music by Angelo Badalamenti
Art Director Jack Fisk

Film Data
Cast & Crew plus other data

  Release Dates

US: October 8 (limited) 22 (wide), 1999 - Walt Disney Pictures
Germany: December 2 - Senator Film
UK: December 3 - Film Four
France: November 4 - BAC Films
Denmark: November 19, 1999
The Netherlands: December 2, 1999
Austria: Winter 1999-2000
Australia: First quarter of 2000
Czech Republic: April 2000
Poland: January 7, 2000

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© Mike Hartmann
thecityofabsurdity@yahoo.com