The Straight Story Page #2

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So,...how long you been|out on the road?

Well, I been travellin'|most of my life.

- Where you from?|- Laurens.

Got a wife back there? Kids?

My wife, Francis delivered|14 babies. Seven of 'em made it.

My daughter,|Rose lives with me.

Francis died in '81.

Where's your family?

Are you runnin' away?

How far along are ya?

Five months.

Well, I'm headin'|to see my brother Lyle.

Huh?

I said I'm goin' to see|my brother Lyle in Mount Zion.

- Where's that?|- Wisconsin.

Oh...|- Just across the state line.

Cheddar Heads.

Aren't those the dumbest things you ever seen|somebody stick on their head?

I hear that's|a real party place - Wisconsin.

Guess I'll never|get to find out.

There's a blanket in the trailer.|Why don't you go get it?

My family hates me.

They'll really hate me|when they find out.

- You didn't tell 'em?|- No.

No one knows.|Not even my boyfriend.

Well, they may be mad, but I don't think they're|mad enough to wanna lose you.

or your little problem.

I don't know about that.

Well, of course, neither do I, but...

a warm bed and a roof sounds a might better than...

... eatin' a hot dog on a stick with an old geezer|that's travellin' on a lawn mower.

My daughter Rose is...

Some people call her|a little bit slow but she's not.

She's got a mind|like a bear trap for facts.

She keeps everything|organised around the house.

She was a real good mom.| She had four kids.

One night, somebody else|was watchin' the kids and there was a fire.

Her second boy|got burned real bad.

Rose had nothin'|to do with it but, ah...

..on account of the way Rose is,|the State figured she

wasn't competent to take care of them kids | and they took 'em all away from her.

There isn't a day goes by that|she don't pine for them kids.

When my kids were real little,|I used to play a game with 'em.

I'd give each one of 'em a stick and| - one for each one of 'em -

then I'd say ''you break that.''|'Course they could, real easy.

Then I'd say ''tie them sticks in|a bundle and try to break that''.

'Course they couldn't.

Then I'd say ''that bundle - that's family.''

Why don't you sleep|in the trailer?

This chair's just fine|for me tonight.

No, I'll be fine|sleepin' out here.

Lookin' at the stars|helps me think.

Thank you.

What that?

Thanks.

What the hell?

- Doin' good.

Hey, Irene.

-You don't think about gettin' old when you're young.|-You shouldn't.

Must be something good|about gettin' old.

Well, I can't imagine anything|good about being blind and lame| at the same time, but...

still at my age, I've seen about all|that life has to dish out.

I know to separate the wheat from the chaff|and let the small stuff fall away.

Let's go, man.

So, ah...what's the worst part|about being old, Alvin?

The worst part of being old is|rememberin' when you was young.

Can I help you, lady?

No, you can't help me.|No one can help me.

I've tried driving with my lights on,|I've tried sounding my horn! I scream,

I roll the window down and bang on the door|and play Public Enemy real loud!

I've prayed to St Francis|of Assisi, St Christopher too! What the heck!

I've tried everything and still|every week I hit at least one deer!

I have hit 13 deer in seven|weeks driving down this road!

And I HAVE to drive|down this road

every day, 40 miles to work and back.

I HAVE to drive to work|and I HAVE to drive home!

Where do they come from?

Oh...he's dead.

And I LOVE deer.

Well, they sure picked the right|place to practise a burn on.

That Rumelthanger place|was an eyesore.

What do you suppose...?

Is that a lawn mower?

Mister, you OK?

Jeez, mister, you're lucky|she didn't roll on you.

I guess the belt broke.

I wouldn't be surprised. You don't have|brakes on that trailer, right?

I worked for John Deere for 30 years, and I can tell|you shouldn't be hauling a rig behind a mower.

At least not down|a hill like that.

I'm Danny Riordan.

Alvin Straight.

Alvin, let's get you and this rig off the road|and see what the damage is.

Let's get this off the road.| Sure you're OK?

OK.

You OK? Everything all right?|I'm going back to the exercise.

Thanks. Appreciate it.

Well,...let's|take a look at this mower.

- This is what '65, '66?|- '66.

Well,...tell you right now, Alvin,| you won't be going anywhere tonight.

Aside from your, ah, drive belt being busted,|you got transmission problems.

- Where you headed?|- Mount Zion.

Mount Zion, Wisconsin?|Past Prairie du Chien?

- That's 60 more miles of hills.|- That's across the Mississippi.

- What's in Mount Zion, Alvin?|- My brother lives there.

- Why didn't you take your car?|- I'm not licensed.

- Couldn't he visit?|- He's had a bad stroke.

- Where are you coming from?|- Back a piece.

West Union?

-- Hawkeye?|- Nope.

Well, not New Hampton?|You haven't come that far.

You've come a long ways, haven't you?

Yeah, I have. Laurens, Iowa.

- Laurens?!|- That's west of The Grotto.

- How long have you been on the road?|- What's the date?

October eighth.

Five weeks. I left Laurens|on the fifth of September.

- You been bunkin' in that?|- That's my rollin' home.

- Where you been settin' up camp?|- In the fields. I pull off.

I don't travel at night.

Haven't you been scared, being alone?| There are weird people everywhere.

Well, ma'am, I fought|in the trenches in World War II.

Why should I be scared|of an Iowa cornfield?

Well, um... till we get|this mower fixed,...

why don't you...ah, bivouac in our yard here?|There's a bathroom in the garage you can use.

Well, that's|awful generous of you

and I'm sure my machine here|is agreeable to that too.

Sure wanna thank you folks|for helping me today.

There's a lot of rain forecast.|Sure don't want to get stuck in that trailer?

I...I do a little woodwork.|I thought you'd like a few fish.

My daughter does woodwork.|She makes birdhouses.

Oh, that's nice.

- You finished there?|- I believe I am.

- I'm in need of a phone.|- Sure. Come in.

I wanna call my daughter|about my recent travels.

Sure. Come in.

If it's all the same with you,|do you have a cordless phone?

- Door's wide open, come...|- I can call from out here.

Here you go.

You're welcome to sit in the kitchen.| We can leave, if you're lookin' for privacy.

Out here's fine.|Is the area code still 712 here?

No, Alvin.|That hill rolled you into 319.

You need to dial one|and your area code.

-'Hello?'|- Rose?

Dad?...Dad...

Uh, I'm...so glad to hear you.

It's gonna cost him a bundle to fix that mower.| I don't think he's got that kinda money.

I wouldn't drive that thing to Excelsior.|It's a lawn mower, for God's sake.

Uh, your social security cheque?|Ah...it's here, Dad.

Rose, can you send me my cheque?

Uh, yeah.

He's damn lucky he made it down that hill.|- He could've died easily. - Yeah.

He's none too strong.| Did you see how he has to walk with the canes?

OK, OK, Dad, OK.

I...I have a pencil, Dad.

The hills just get worse|the closer you get to the Mississippi.

Go ahead and drive him, honey.| Mount Zion can't be half a day. It's fine.

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