--- title: "The Straight Story: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-straight-story/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-straight-story" critics_score: 86 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Straight Story (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 86 from 6 reviews: 6 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Straight Story, with praise centred on Richard Farnsworth’s understated performance and the dignity he gives Alvin Straight. The reviews repeatedly credit Lynch with making a simple journey emotionally absorbing through patient storytelling, kindness and attention to ordinary encounters. The landscapes, naturalistic dialogue and gentle humour also draw praise. For most critics, the film’s warmth comes without forcing its emotions. The differences concern how securely Lynch controls that sweetness, and how far he departs from his usual approach. Sight and Sound admires the performances and cinematography but sees a risk of excessive sentimentality. The Los Angeles Times is more resistant, finding contrived folk wisdom and awkward clashes of tone, while still praising Farnsworth. Time Out, by contrast, finds the compositions, sound and wry humour recognisably Lynchian, suggesting that the apparent simplicity leaves plenty to notice. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. Lynch is in mellower mood with this whimsical road movie that dissects middle-American mores. Farnsworth gives a dignified, Oscar-nominated performance, supported by Spacek and eccentrics met en route; the stately pace is exploited to gaze fondly on life's pageant. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-tjk2tu/the-straight-story/) ## Empire — William Thomas Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic finds the film a sweetly strange road movie that celebrates human decency without sentimentality. They particularly praise Richard Farnsworth's authentic, understated performance as Alvin Straight. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/straight-story-review/) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 January 2012. The review calls it a humanist gem told in naturalistic fashion yet recognisably Lynchian through its compositions, sound and wry humour. Farnsworth's charm and the film's deceptive simplicity and warmth make it one of Lynch's most satisfying works. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-straight-story) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 1999. The critic describes the film as a sweet and disarming no-frills tale based on a real-life journey. It highlights the charm and simplicity of the story along with a notable appearance by Harry Dean Stanton. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/1999/may/22/artsfeatures.davidlynch) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 15 October 1999. Turan finds the film uneven and mannered despite Lynch's attempt at heartwarming Americana, but praises Richard Farnsworth's dignified and authentic lead performance as the main reason it works. He criticizes contrived folk wisdom and clashing Lynchian oddities. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-oct-15-ca-22403-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 15 October 1999. Ebert praises the film's focus on kindness and ordinary people along Alvin Straight's journey, calling it a moving true story brought to life by Richard Farnsworth's performance. He singles out the authentic dialogue and landscapes for their emotional depth. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-straight-story-1999) ## Sight and Sound — Kevin Jackson The critic notes that the film stays true to its title with a straightforward, sweet-natured narrative and no Lynchian weirdness. He admires the cinematography, performances especially Sissy Spacek's, and the crane shot, while cautioning it risks becoming overly sentimental. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/280) ## The New York Times — Janet Maslin 15 October 1999. Maslin calls the film a profoundly spiritual triumph by an unlikely director, crediting Lynch with turning a simple story into an emotionally gripping experience. She highlights Richard Farnsworth's natural, standout performance as the elderly protagonist. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/15/movies/film-review-on-the-road-to-epiphany.html) ## The Times — Kevin Maher Rating ★★★★☆. 21 July 2023. The review calls it Lynch’s most traditional and straight movie, an elegiac portrait of a fading American heartland centered on a war veteran’s lawnmower journey. It praises Farnsworth’s glassy-eyed dignity and the tear-jerking depiction of reflection on life’s losses. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/the-straight-story-1999-classic-film-review-cd6f9ggqp) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic calls the film gripping and highlights Lynch's skill in telling a simple story without boredom, praising the controlled sentiment and dignity. Richard Farnsworth's magnificent, naturalistic lead performance is singled out for particular acclaim. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-straight-story-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## HeyUGuys — Jack Hawkins Rating 4/5. 9 February 2026. The film is praised for its understated, naturalistic approach that avoids melodrama and clichés in telling the story of Alvin Straight's journey. Richard Farnsworth's authentic, lived-in performance as the stoic lead is singled out as a highlight. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/the-straight-story-4k-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md