I often seek out writeups on old film festivals. It’s fun to imagine what it would be like to attend the first screenings of what we consider classic films. 1999 is often called a notable movie year, and The Straight Story was one of the critical darlings that played at most all of the fall festivals, following its Cannes premiere. In many blog entries and published articles for these, people speak of Lynch and the movie with a respect he had not always received from the critical census, especially after his last few movies had polarizing reception. A lot of sites documenting its Telluride shows talk about how moved they were, and impressed by the performances and Lynch’s painterly eye. I bet David Lynch appreciated the warm embrace of his movie, and wonder if this is what really triggered the “master filmmaker” reputation he is bestowed with today, at least from critics. Like you implied (more eloquently than me), being capable of producing this simple and well-presented story adds an authenticity to his more abstract work. Even Roger Ebert’s review reads like an apology after years of slamming him.
I think that's a great idea to do! It's one thing to read reviews about movies from today's perspective, but contemporary reviews are so valuable and interesting as to how movies were initially perceived. I agree with you about how this movie probably helped Lynch's critical consensus. I'm an avid Siskel & Ebert viewer (I've probably seen almost every episode of theirs available online), and at least for Ebert, that was exactly his trajectory (he would even later champion Mulholland Dr. upon release). But to be fair, I don't think it's for nothing. Even though I do hate a couple of the movies he made before The Straight Story (Dune, Wild at Heart), I consider myself a fan of his style and his work, so I'd call him a master filmmaker even if he never made this movie. But the fact that he had this movie in him - such a gentle, warm, pleasant gem - puts my respect for him over the top. Not because he went mainstream or anything, but because he showed his range.
Beautiful movie. I own it. One of my favorites also. It's based on a true story.
Fantastic film essay 👌🏻
Thanks so much!
I often seek out writeups on old film festivals. It’s fun to imagine what it would be like to attend the first screenings of what we consider classic films. 1999 is often called a notable movie year, and The Straight Story was one of the critical darlings that played at most all of the fall festivals, following its Cannes premiere. In many blog entries and published articles for these, people speak of Lynch and the movie with a respect he had not always received from the critical census, especially after his last few movies had polarizing reception.
A lot of sites documenting its Telluride shows talk about how moved they were, and impressed by the performances and Lynch’s painterly eye. I bet David Lynch appreciated the warm embrace of his movie, and wonder if this is what really triggered the “master filmmaker” reputation he is bestowed with today, at least from critics. Like you implied (more eloquently than me), being capable of producing this simple and well-presented story adds an authenticity to his more abstract work. Even Roger Ebert’s review reads like an apology after years of slamming him.
I think that's a great idea to do! It's one thing to read reviews about movies from today's perspective, but contemporary reviews are so valuable and interesting as to how movies were initially perceived. I agree with you about how this movie probably helped Lynch's critical consensus. I'm an avid Siskel & Ebert viewer (I've probably seen almost every episode of theirs available online), and at least for Ebert, that was exactly his trajectory (he would even later champion Mulholland Dr. upon release).
But to be fair, I don't think it's for nothing. Even though I do hate a couple of the movies he made before The Straight Story (Dune, Wild at Heart), I consider myself a fan of his style and his work, so I'd call him a master filmmaker even if he never made this movie. But the fact that he had this movie in him - such a gentle, warm, pleasant gem - puts my respect for him over the top. Not because he went mainstream or anything, but because he showed his range.