Episode 3

full
Published on:

5th Feb 2026

The Straight Story - David Lynch's "Most Experimental" Film & The Only One He Didn't Write Himself

Lynch is the master of the eery, absurd, surreal dream film, but he himself says that his most "experimental" film is "The Straight Story," a film that's ostensibly about a kind, elderly gentleman slowly riding his lawn mower across the country to see his brother.

Maybe for David Lynch this was experimental though because he had none of his usual tools of insanity and chaos to draw from?

CREATIVES:

Director: David Lynch

Writers: John Roach and Mary Sweeney

Producers: Mary Sweeney and Neal Edelstein

Composer: Angelo Badalamenti

Cinematographer: Freddie Francis

Editor: Mary Sweeney

CAST:

Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight

Sissy Spacek as Rose Straight

Harry Dean Stanton as Lyle Straight

Jane Galloway Heitz as Dorothy

Joseph A. Carpenter as Bud

Donald Wiegert as Sig

Ed Grennan as Pete

Jack Walsh as Apple

James Cada as Danny Riordan

Wiley Harker as Verlyn Heller

Kevin Farley as Harald Olsen

John Farley as Thorvald Olsen

Anastasia Webb as Crystal

Barbara Robertson as Deer Woman

CREW:

Production Designer: Jack Fisk

Costume Designer: Amy Stofsky

Casting: Johanna Ray and Elaine J. Huzzar

Art Direction: Christy Wilson

Set Decoration: Barbara Haberecht

Sound Design: David Lynch

SOUND DESIGN (FOR PODCAST) ATTRIBUTION:

  1. S: cinemato.wav by jlozano | License: Attribution 3.0
  2. S: Starbucks barista saying ''Two Capuccinos...Espresso...''.wav by Halfofthesky | License: Attribution 4.0
  3. S: Coffee Pour.wav by loganrando | License: Creative Commons 0
  4. S: stove top coffee espresso.wav by Alex_hears_things | License: Creative Commons 0
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About the Podcast

the arc.fm
Storytellers talking about stories!
Join us, three very different types of storytellers with three very different types of personalities, as we bring each other stories of all kinds to break apart and celebrate. In every episode, we're having the best time exploring what makes a story work, why it moves us, and why we can't stop talking about it. It's not analysis. It's not review. And it's something more than just a conversation about one of the things that makes life worth living... stories.