Watch this when
The Straight Story
He couldn't drive, so he rode a lawn mower 240 miles to say sorry to his brother.
Who it's for
Alvin doesn't give a speech about forgiveness; he just decides to go to his brother, on a lawn mower at five miles an hour, which makes the effort itself the apology.
Feelings it meets
What it is
David Lynch's drama, written by John Roach and Mary Sweeney, is based on Alvin Straight's real 1994 journey. Elderly World War II veteran Alvin (Richard Farnsworth), who lives in Iowa with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek), learns that his estranged brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has had a stroke; unable to drive, he sets out for Wisconsin on a riding lawn tractor pulling a trailer.
Where to find it
Rent or buy on major digital stores. Streaming availability rotates; check JustWatch.
Before you start
Heads up: A brother's stroke; a war death recalled.
Age: G (MPAA)
You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.Jane Austen, Persuasion, Chapter 23
