Your weekend spiritual film with the monthly Pray: A True Story, by David Lynch

In this film by David Lynch, the hero embarks on a long journey at the wheel of a lawn mower. The goal: to find his brother and reconcile with him before the end of the trip.

The road, in an American film, is usually traveled by car, going from one motel to another. Thus, the road movie has become a reference cinematographic genre.

But here, the director has chosen to stand out from the usual codes by telling an amazing story taken from real life. Central character of this epic, Alvin is not a hero: at 73, he walks with two canes, and his health would require a diet he does not want to hear about.

transcendent dimension

His blue gaze has the innocence of a mischievous child who has decided to play a good trick. Living in a small town without charm in Iowa, he sets off in order to find his brother Lyle, seriously ill, with whom he has been estranged for ten years. So he sets off on a 600 km journey at the wheel of an old lawnmower, pulling the trailer that serves as his shelter and pantry.

Around him, the characters seem to have come out of an Edward Hopper painting: quiet retirees who have their habits at the bar, a woman sunbathing in her garden, a general store where you can find everything, from gasoline to tools, dogs trailing in the streets.

We see the daily life of average Americans whose work seems centered on the exploitation of the great grain plains of the Midwest; a recurring shot shows the combine harvester at work in a cloud of dust. And landscapes to which the cross fades give even more breadth: endless alignment of cornfields and immense skies where the setting sun sets the rhythm of the days.

Without forgetting the starry vault of the nights: present from the credits, it repeatedly recalls the transcendent dimension which transforms this news item into a spiritual adventure. “The stars help me to think”, explains Alvin who, during the five weeks that his journey lasts, will sleep outside, taking advantage of the mild summer. Moreover, to remain seated to look at the stars, it is what he wishes to live peacefully with his finally found brother.

The essence of existence

Over the days, the meetings will give the opportunity to this silent man to reveal the essentials of his existence: the war, his wife who gave him 14 children. Rose, a simple woman with a tragic destiny, whose daily life he shares. His childhood on the farm where the parents worked hard and the solidarity with his brother.

And especially this old quarrel which opposed them, ruining the family unity which he seeks so much. Because the desire for reconciliation is his only motivation. The experience taught him to “to separate the grain from the chaff”. As the ears of corn swaying in the wind remind us, it’s harvest time: a time to take stock of your life. His interlocutors are varied: young runaway, attentive priest, welcoming couple. Always open to dialogue, Alvin maintains a certain reserve until the final face-to-face with Lyle.

family odysseys

As A true story, Nebraska, by Alexander Payne (2013), tells the odyssey of an old man. His motivation: to collect the check promised by an enticing advertisement. Around him, nobody believes in it but he is stubborn and takes the road alone and on foot for Nebraska.

One of his sons then decides to take him there. The trip will bring them closer. Especially since a fortuitous stopover in the village where the old man spent his childhood encourages reunions with old friends and confidences. The son tenderly gives the gift of leaving his father to his dream.

Filmed in superb black and white, this comedy holds poignant moments, showing the difficulty of communicating with those we love. The main actor (Bruce Bern, 77) won the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival for this funny and moving character.

Michele Debidour is a graduate in theology and cinema, and chaired the ecumenical jury of Cannes. It introduces us to the spiritual message of a great film available on DVD and VOD and offers us through the seventh art a beautiful support to meditate on the condition of man and transcendence.

This article is taken from the monthly Pray.

Your weekend spiritual film with the monthly Pray: A True Story, by David Lynch