The Straight Story Monologues

An old man makes a long journey by lawnmower to mend his relationship with an ill brother.

I'd give each one of 'em a stick and, one for each one of 'em, then I'd say, 'You break that.' Course they could real easy. Then I'd say, 'Tie them sticks in a bundle and try to break that.' Course they couldn't. Then I'd say, "That bundle... that's family."

The worst part of being old is remembering when you was young.

You don't think about getting old when you're young… you shouldn't.

Well I can't imagine anything good about being blind and lame at the same time but, still at my age I've seen about all that life has to dish out. I know to separate the wheat from the chaff, and let the small stuff fall away.

Well, the worst part of being old is rememberin' when you was young.

There's no one knows your life better than a brother that's near your age. He knows who you are and what you are better than anyone on earth. My brother and I said some unforgivable things the last time we met, but, I'm trying to put that behind me... and this trip is a hard swallow of my pride. I just hope I'm not too late... a brother's a brother.

Well, they may be mad. I don't think they're mad enough to want to lose you, or your little problem.

Well, of course, neither do I, but a warm bed and a roof sounds a mite better than eating a hot dog on a stick with an old geezer that's travelling on a lawnmower.

Anger, vanity, you mix that together with liquor, you've got two brothers that haven't spoken in ten years. Ah, whatever it was that made me and Lyle so mad... don't matter anymore. I want to make peace, I want to sit with him, look up at the stars... like we used to do, so long ago.

I haven't had a drink in a lotta years, but now I'm gonna have me a cold beer.