Like the ancient lawnmower that carries Alvin Straight on a 300-mile journey in The Straight Story, David Lynch's latest film sputters and stalls before hitting its stride. The story itself carries a lot of promise: a 73-year old man travels halfway across the American Midwest to see his ailing, estranged brother. But the movie's ultimate message - family ties are worth preserving - is obscured by unanswered questions and scenes that seem planted to tug at our heartstrings.

In his early travels, Alvin, faithfully portrayed by Richard Farnsworth, meets a pregnant teenager, a group of bicycle riders and a yuppie commuter. These characters are cardboard cutouts and serve merely as foils for Alvin to spout homespun wisdom and give cliched advice. It's only when Alvin faces the real prospect of not reaching his goal, five weeks into the trip, that he connects in an honest way with the people he meets.

Lynch generally lets the material speak for itself, a smart move. Only a few times does his characteristic flair escape its restraints: the sounds of war overlay a conversation between two old men about World War II, a flashback of a boy playing with a ball conveys the despair of Alvin's now-childless daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek).

Alvin's story is one with very few words. The camera lovingly records the green and gold rolling fields of Iowa and Wisconsin, as well as some beautiful early morning scenes. These landscapes seem more real than some of the people, and can lull the audience into a trance-like state. Beware this impulse; you very well could drift off in the middle of Alvin's odyssey.