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Rural Road

In the film "The Straight Story", we witness a road trip that has not been portrayed yet in this class. Alvin, not only chooses to take his road trip on a lawnmower, but he is going from rural Iowa to rural Wisconsin. His road trip is about discovering himself rather than leaving behind something.
As Alvin encounters different people on the road, he really helps them more than I think they help him. Yet, through others Alvin really shares his story with the audience about how he wants to forgive Lyle (his brother) and move on. The film is very slow going which also counters the usual road film; fast and thrilling. I think too, Alvin really expresses the rural in himself. The landscape throughout the film with the accompanying music really allows the audience to fall in love with the rural as Alvin has.
Overall, "The Straight Story" is very different from other road journeys we have viewed in this class.

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