The Straight Story
I think Alvin's journey is similar to other films we have viewed in the sense that it is a road movie about self-realization, and how Alvin embarks on this journey to find peace and closure within himself and his relationship with his brother. Alvin decides to hit the road after he begins to realize that his health is detereorating, as his brother's probably is as well, and he needs to resolve things between them before it's too late. His journey is more about self-resolution than self-discovery. Through his rural journey, he never really leaves the peacefulness of the country, although he does encounter other familiarities of city life, like the "Bambicide" he witnesses, or the controlled burning of an abandoned house. He remains focused and determined to finish his journey alone, despite the pleas of people from his daughterto the people he meets along the way. He knows that this journey is for himself and himself alone, and that is how he must continue and subsequently finish the trip. However, I think that as much as the road shapes Alvin, he also enhances the lives of those he meets. From the runaway that he convinces to go home, to the twin brothers with whom he talks about brotherhood, Alvin helps others discover things about themselves as he encounters them on his journey. Alvin helps the road as much as the road helped him.