Richard Farnsworth was going to turn down the film “The Straight Story” (1999) because he didn’t like the language in “Blue Velvet” (1986).
Only several personal assurances by David Lynch and the other writers that the film would contain no cursing did he agree to do it.
Unlike Lynch’s prior films (or any that would follow), this was released by Walt Disney Pictures after a successful debut at Cannes, was given a G rating by the MPAA (the only Lynch film to receive such a rating) and is the only Lynch film for which Lynch himself did not have a hand in the screenplay (although it was co-written by his recurring associate, Mary Sweeney).
The film is based on the true story of Alvin Straight’s 1994 journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on a lawn mower.
Alvin (Farnsworth) is an elderly World War II veteran who lives with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek), a kind woman with an intellectual disability.
When he hears that his estranged brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) has suffered a stroke, Alvin makes up his mind to go visit him and hopefully make amends before he dies.
Because Alvin’s legs and eyes are too impaired for him to receive a driving license, he hitches a trailer to his recently purchased thirty-year-old John Deere 110 Lawn Tractor, having a maximum speed of about 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) and sets off on the 240 miles journey from Laurens, Iowa to Mount Zion, Wisconsin.
Farnsworth was terminally ill with bone cancer during the shooting of the film, which had caused the paralysis of his legs as shown in the film.
He actually took the role out of admiration for Alvin Straight, and astonished his co-workers with his tenacity during production.
Because of the pain of his disease, Farnsworth committed suicide the following year, at the age of 80. (IMDb/Wikipedia)
Happy Birthday, Richard Farnsworth!