The first connection that leaps to mind between the bizarre Twin Peaks and the down-to-earth The Straight Story is their mutual roots in small town Americana. The early nineties series is set in the Pacific Northwest while the late nineties feature unfolds across a couple Midwestern states but they share a sense of communal warmth and sadness, of old men moving slowly about their daily business and neighbors wondering what's going on in the house next door. Both works use this comforting familiarity as a springboard, in Peaks' case for an increasingly supernatural murder mystery, in Straight's case as a more literal point of departure for a character's odyssey. In some ways, The Straight Story bares even more resemblance to the third season which came afterwards, given its road trip nature and even some of its images and dramatic moments (the storytelling surrounding Agent Dale Cooper and Alvin Straight harbors some striking similarities). The Straight Story was David Lynch's closest collaboration with editor/producer Mary Sweeney, since she actually originated the project herself: purchasing the rights, co-writing the screenplay with John Roach, and shopping the script to Lynch who was initially uninterested. This is one reason the film is included after last month's Lost Highway and before Sweeney's own directorial debut under "Long Road Home" banner for this season/miniseries of Twin Peaks Cinema. Another reason is, of course, the centrality of a literal road to this story - it feels like the in-between journey from the previous episode to our next, and last.
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LINKS FOR EPISODE 25
"THE LAWN WINDING ROAD" by Megan Garvey (The Washington Post)
features broader discussion of the Civil War, Ken Burns documentary, "Lost Cause" mythos, etc
*in addition to ORATORY, COSTUME, and PSYCHOLOGICAL CHALLENGE I cite WORLDLINESS and STRATEGY as Frostian touchstones (I did not actually cite HISTORY as I claim in the podcast although it certainly does apply)
David Lynch & Mary Sweeney: Dream Souls (my video essay)
is sampled near the end of the podcast
MY OTHER WORK ON THE STRAIGHT STORY
(listen to a Patreon audio archive of my previous work/mentions)
In a complete survey of Lynch's filmography up to 2014 w/ individual review & in a broader essay
(including Lost Highway mentions not listed above)
Recently on Lost in the Movies podcast - Under the Skin
Recently in my NEW TWIN PEAKS CHARACTER SERIES (written entries): jump ahead at least a month as a patron
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