The Straight Story //free\\ Jun 2026

Alvin slowly walks up to the porch, sits in a second rocking chair next to Henry, and says one line: “I’ve come to see you, Henry.” They look at each other. Henry’s eyes, which were glazed and distant, suddenly focus. He recognizes his brother. His face cracks into a tiny, wet smile. Alvin looks up at the night sky. Then, silence. The camera holds on the two old men, rocking in their chairs, watching the stars. The credits roll.

Upon hearing that his 80-year-old brother, Henry (Lyle in the film), had suffered a stroke, Alvin was determined to visit him. Because he had poor eyesight and no driver’s license, Alvin rejected buses and instead chose to drive his 1966 John Deere lawnmower from Laurens, Iowa, to Blue River, Wisconsin. The Straight Story