Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) is a 73 year-old veteran who has not spoken with his brother in ten years, but he won’t let his physical limitations stop him from a cross-country trek on a riding lawn mower in search of reconciliation. Along the road, he is haunted by ghosts of war and interrupted by plenty of obstacles. But each incident serves to prove that he just might be the healthiest, most clear-eyed man in a world that moves too fast for wisdom. This is the most hopeful and inspiring of all of David Lynch’s films, one in which encounters with darkness are overwhelmed by the presence of beauty and love. – Jeffrey Overstreet