The Straight Story Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Straight Story Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 19, 2026

David Lynch's "The Straight Story" (1999) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the release include recent program with location managers Mark Har and Bob Medcraft; recent audio commentary by critic Peter Tonguette; archival documentaries; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Man on the road

How did the Academy members conclude that Kevin Spacey’s performance in American Beauty was more deserving of an Oscar statuette than Richard Farnsworth’s performance in The Straight Story? I am sorry, but they are not even comparable. Farnsworth isn’t doing a whole lot of performing before David Lynch’s camera because it is often too obvious that he is in serious pain. In fact, let’s just tell it as it is -- Farnsworth is slowly dying before the camera, and you don’t need a medical degree to realize he is running out of time. There is a short sequence in the second half of The Straight Story where Farnsworth is somewhere in the middle of nowhere, sitting on a cheap chair before a small fire, having a smoke. It is a chilly but beautiful night. Farnsworth looks up at the stars because, at this particular moment, his character is supposed to recall the good old days when he and his brother were still close. But there is a lot more happening here. Farnsworth savors his final moments of existence in the most undramatic manner imaginable because he has accepted that the inevitable end is near. Look at his tired eyes, and you will realize that this is precisely what Lynch’s camera captures. Farnsworth had known for a while that he was terminally ill. However, when he began working with Lynch, his condition had deteriorated so much that he knew he had entered the final phase of his illness, where he was losing control of his body.

In The Straight Story, Farnsworth is Alvin Straight, an aging farmer who lives with his mentally disabled daughter, Rose (Sissy Spacek), in a very small town somewhere in Iowa. When he learns that his brother, Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton), whom he hasn’t seen or spoken to in ten years, has had a heart attack, he announces that he is going to see him. But this is easier said than done because Alvin can barely stand, does not see well, and Lyle is in Wisconsin. Nevertheless, Alvin refuses assistance and prepares to drive his lawnmower, attached to a trailer that will carry some personal belongings and the food he needs to survive while slowly moving toward his brother's place in Wisconsin.

No other film in Lynch’s body of work is like The Straight Story. Its narrative construction, tone, ambience, and, of course, characters are quite simply incompatible with the director’s classic cinematic modus operandi. And yet, The Straight Story may very well be Lynch’s masterpiece.

The magic happens for two very simple reasons. First, only Farnsworth could have played the main protagonist. Farnsworth is Alvin, and his eyes and aged body tell Alvin’s story far more effectively than his words. Such material cannot be directed. It can be filmed, but only if the right actor is present. Second, Lynch and his camera see the unique beauty of the Heartland as it is. It could have been spoiled if it had been filmed the way contemporary Hollywood usually imagines it, but in The Straight Story, it is entirely legitimate. The beauty of the Heartland is not defined only by its nature or its different rhythm of life. The people who live there are an essential part of it.

When Angelo Badalamenti was approached to create yet another soundtrack for Lynch, apparently his initial reaction was that The Straight Story was so different he would have had trouble relating to its characters. But his soundtrack is another masterpiece. It has simple yet very beautiful themes that work perfectly in unison with the visuals from the Heartland.

*Farnsworth passed away not too long after appearing in The Straight Story. In it, he was the same age as the real Alvin Straight, whose journey and life story were first revealed in a news report published by The New York Times in 1994.

The Straight Story Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Straight Story arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

The release introduces a new 4K 16-bit restoration of The Straight Story, sourced from the original camera negative, approved by David Lynch. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this release.

I have only one other release of The Straight Story in my library. It is this Australian Blu-ray release, produced by Imprint Films in 2021. Earlier tonight, I viewed the 4K restoration on the new Blu-ray release and then quickly performed several comparisons.

The 4K restoration is an all-around winner, and its presentation on Blu-ray is pretty impressive. I liked everything that I saw on my system. All visuals were very sharp (not digitally sharpened), clean, and often rather strikingly vibrant. Most of the daylight outdoor footage looked incredible, boasting delineation, depth, and clarity that native 4K visuals can typically produce. When featuring movement of some sort, the same visuals also maintained excellent fluidity. (On the previous release linked above, some sequences with the same visuals could appear somewhat unneven). Color reproduction and balance are excellent. Everywhere I looked, all primaries and supporting nuances were properly set, ensuring that the entire film has a convincing, accurate period appearance. In a few spots, I felt that darker shadow nuances could have been slightly better exposed, possibly with a touch of expanded warmer supporting nuances, but I did not see any troubling anomalies to report. The overall look and temperature of darker, brighter, indoor, and outdoor footage are very convincing. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. The entire film looks spotless as well. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

The Straight Story Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. A descriptive audio track is also included. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

David Lynch and Ronald Eng, the original sound supervisor and mixer of The Straight Story, apparently revisited the audio when the 4K restoration was finalized. I did not think that the previous lossless 5.1 track on the Australian Blu-ray release of The Straight Story had any flaws. However, I thought that in a few areas the sound could have been 'wider' and more immersive. While revisiting The Straight Story, I had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit, and the 5.1 track now handles virtually all of these areas, plus a few more, a little better. There seems to be more 'fullness' there, though, unsurprisingly, clarity, sharpness, and depth are not altered in any particular, instantly recognizable ways. I did not encounter any encoding anomalies to report in our review.

The Straight Story Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this recent audio commentary, critic Peter Tonguette shares plenty of interesting information about the production of The Straight Story and Disney's relationship with the film, the unusual nature of the project and David Lynch's direction, Richard Farnsworth's career and the real Alvin Straight, etc. The commentary first appeared on Australian label Imprint Films' Blu-ray release of The Straight Story, produced in 2021.

• Mark and Bob Tell It Straight - in this recent program, location managers Mark Har and Bob Medcraft recall how the key locations that are seen in The Straight Story were selected and discuss the production process. The program first appeared on Imprint Films' Blu-ray release of The Straight Story. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Straight and Narrow: Inside the Film - in this recent program, John Thorne, co-editor of "Wrapped in Plastic", discusses David Lynch's business relationship with Mary Sweeney, the conception of The Straight Story, and its personality and style. The program first appeared on Imprint Films' Blu-ray release of The Straight Story. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Far and Wide: Inside the Score - in this recent program, film historian Daniel Schweiger discusses Angelo Badalamenti's contribution to the Straight Story and some of the particular ways in which the music complements the visuals. The program first appeared on Imprint Films' Blu-ray release of The Straight Story. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Straight Talking - in this archival program, David Lynch and screenwriters Mary Sweeney and Joahn Roach explain how The Straight Story came to exist, and comment on the real Alvin Straight and his journey to reunite with his brother. Also included is an interview with cinematographer Freddie Francis, as well as footage from Wisconsin, where a large portion of The Straight Story was shot. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• The Straight Story: On Set with David Lynch - this archival program documents parts of the production process and focuses on David Lynch's working methods during the shooting of a couple of key episodes from The Straight Story. In English, not subtitled. (39 min).

• Image Gallery - a large collection of stills from The Straight Story.

• Trailer One - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Straight Story. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Trailer Two - presented here is a recent trailer for the new 4K restoration of The Straight Story. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

The Straight Story Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

David Lynch's most unusual film is an astonishing piece of Americana that should have earned its star, Richard Farnsworth, an Oscar statuette. Farnsworth is magnificent in it, and I am convinced that most of the time, he isn't even acting. StudioCanal's Blu-ray release presents a gorgeous, very faithful new 4K restoration of The Straight Story, with a terrific selection of excellent bonus features. It would be a shame if the 4K restoration is not offered to American collectors, who have been waiting for a proper release of The Straight Story to emerge for decades. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.