When people think of David Lynch, they think of surreal, dream sequences and noir-style classics like Blue Velvet or Mulholland Drive. Because it is in essence a documentary, The Straight Story is the exception to the rule. It is based on the real story of a fellow, Alvin Straight—thus the name—who travels to visit his brother 300 miles away on a riding lawnmower!!

Due to Lynch’s recent passing, we just celebrated a David Lynch month in Film Club, and it was fantastic, a little homage, our tribute. We saw Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, The Straight Story, and Mulholland Drive.

One of the many things I learned during this month’s research is how much of a jokester Lynch was—what a character! But did he know how much of a Quixotic journey his film represents?

The few outward, visible clues that Straight Story is a Midwestern, late 20th-century Quixote story are that Straight is an older, skinny, rough-bearded fellow with an existential need to embark on this trip. Like Don Quixote, he has a false start to his adventure, returning home before starting his quest. He has a cohort of naysayers -hanging out at the local hardware store, the hardheadedness, a boring home life; although he has a loving daughter in Sissy Spacek, a phenomenal, but underrated actress.

Along the way, he has many adventures: he encounters a group of cyclists, reminiscent of Quijote’s encounter with the herd of sheep, the lady who keeps running over deer, a few close encounters with 18-wheelers, giants? Etc.

But at the end of the day, this is a story of a man seeking his redemption, it is a physical representation of an inner journey, it is an existential, transcendental quest. It is important to know that while most road films represent an escape, in this case, like in Quijote, the journey is a necessary trip of personal realization.

The film is beautifully shot with great photography of the vast Midwest, not unlike the plains and hills of La Mancha. Straight camps out most nights, and like Quijote depends on the charity of strangers to progress on his trip.

One could argue that most road trip films are in some way Quixotic, but I argue that Lynch’s Straight Story is particularly so.