The Straight Story
“A true story that proves a little determination goes a very, very long way.”
Synopsis
Retired farmer and widower Alvin Straight learns one day that his estranged brother Lyle has suffered a severe stroke. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. He then has the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official 4K Restoration TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2024-01-26
Top Cast
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Richard Farnsworth
Alvin
Sissy Spacek
Rose
Jane Galloway Heitz
Dorothy
Joseph A. Carpenter
Bud
Donald Wiegert
Sig
Tracey Maloney
Nurse
Dan Flannery
Doctor Gibbons
Jennifer Edwards
Brenda
Ed Grennan
Pete
Jack Walsh
Apple
Gil Pearson
Bus Driver
Barbara June Patterson
Woman on Bus
Everett McGill
Tom the John Deere Dealer
Anastasia Webb
Crystal
Matt Guidry
Steve
Bill McCallum
Rat
Barbara E. Robertson
Deer Woman
James Cada
Danny Riordan
Release History & Theatrical Window
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema
Festival / Special Debut
October 15, 1999
Wide Cinema Exhibition
April 30, 2020
VOD & Digital Platforms
December 2, 2000
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$10M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$6.4M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
0.64x
-$3.6M deficit
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- David Lynch
- Screenplay & Story
- John Roach, Mary Sweeney
- Original Score
- Angelo Badalamenti
- Original Title
- The Straight Story
- Country of Origin
- United States of America, United Kingdom, France
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 52m
- Production Budget
- $10M
- Worldwide Gross
- $6.4M
- Production Studios
- Les Films Alain Sarde, Picture Factory, Le Studio Canal+, Film4 Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
David Lynch
John Roach, Mary Sweeney
Angelo Badalamenti
Freddie Francis, David L. Butler, David B. Nowell
Mary Sweeney
Pierre Edelman, Neal Edelstein, Michael Polaire, Mary Sweeney, Alain Sarde
Department Leadership Roster
Jack Fisk
Production Design
David Lynch
Director
Freddie Francis
Director of Photography
Neal Edelstein
Producer
Mary Sweeney
Editor
Mary Sweeney
Producer
Patricia Norris
Costume Design
James Fierro
Stunt Coordinator
Rick LeFevour
Stunt Coordinator
Angelo Badalamenti
Original Music Composer
John Roach
Writer
Mary Sweeney
Writer
Alain Sarde
Producer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
G: General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
International Certification Matrix
General — Suitable for all audiences.
General — Suitable for all ages.
FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Straight Story.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Straight Story.
Movie Collection
My Movies
Master List In Progress
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:35:27 UTC+8)*
TSPDT - 1000 Greatest Films
They Shoot Pictures, Don't They? (TSPDT) - The 1,000 Greatest Films. A definitive meta-list aggregating thousands of critics' polls, historical rankings, and director top 10s to represent the ultimate critical consensus in cinema history. TSPDT 影史最伟大的1000部电影： 全球最权威的电影元榜单，由该网站汇总世界各大电影刊物历史评选结果及数千名影评人、学者的个人十佳榜单，通过算法加权计算得出的终极共识。 *片单说明：* 本片单只收录纯电影，以下剧集或迷你剧不予收录： • [#335] Berlin Alexanderplatz (1980) • [#514] Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) • [#614] Edvard Munch (1974) • [#703] The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) • [#890] Elephant (1989) • [#925] Heimat (1984) • [#968] Doomed Love (1978) 以下作品在 TMDB 被拆分为多个独立电影条目；本片单按作品/章节顺序连续收录，且每个分拆条目均沿用同一 TSPDT 名次： • [#171] Dekalog (1989) — 展开为 10 部电影 • [#988] Olympia (1938) — 展开为 2 部电影 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:30:01 UTC+8)*
***Dramă***
Filmes Adultos
Filmes eróticos.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Straight Story
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Straight Story about?
Retired farmer and widower Alvin Straight learns one day that his estranged brother Lyle has suffered a severe stroke. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. He then has the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.
Who directed The Straight Story?
The Straight Story was directed by David Lynch.
Who stars in The Straight Story?
The principal cast of The Straight Story includes Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz, Joseph A. Carpenter, Donald Wiegert.
When was The Straight Story released and how long is it?
The Straight Story was released in 1999 with a total runtime of 1h 52m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Straight Story?
The Straight Story had a reported production budget of $10M and grossed $6.4M at the worldwide box office (0.64 return on budget, classified as a underperformed).
Who composed the musical score for The Straight Story?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Straight Story was composed by Angelo Badalamenti.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Straight Story?
The Straight Story holds official age classifications: AU: G (General — Suitable for all audiences.); CA: G (General — Suitable for all ages.); DE: 6 (FSK 6 — Restricted to viewers aged 6 and older.); FR: TP; GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: G (General Audiences — All ages admitted. Nothing offensive for children.).