The Straight Story
In this film, Alvin Straight is not out on the road to find himself or lose his past, but to find out exactly who he is and what this world has to offer for him. He is not leaving behind his daughter because of her handicap or his friends because they might be too nosy, he is leaving because he has issues in the past that he feels he needs to address. Not only does he leave to see his brother and make amends, but to enjoy the silence of the rural road and think about his life. Issues that come up when on the road are mainly war-related for him as he fought in WW2 and has distinct memories of terrible times. These times shaped him in the film and gave him the personality that got him out of at least fifty bucks for lawnmower repair.
Because this road is in the country and not on a freeway in the middle of the desert, it creates more of a sense of home. It makes Alvin feel like he is never truly leaving home, but just going to a different area of it. It is less chaotic and intense and allows his mind to flow freely and think about his past and what he's doing with his life while not having to worry about cars hitting him at mad speeds. Not only that, but because he takes his time on the mower, it gives him even more time and he basically is strolling his way to his brother. Different atmosphere's create different feelings that can allow for different thoughts, and this is the case for Alvin. His life has a couple loose ends and by going on this trip, not only did he tie them up, but he discovered why he is the way he is and realized more about himself; a perfect way to close up a long life. I'm not saying he's dying or dead, I'm just saying he's old and most likely near the end of his life.