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General Major 
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DISABILITY |
General
Stroke |
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NOTES |
If someone related the plot of
Abiline to you, you'd reply, no, that's The Straight Story.
An old farmer, Otis, (Borgnine) has land he doesn't work and
developers are keen to buy. His driving is so dangerous the friendly
sheriff takes away his pick-up and warns him not to drive his
tractor. Then he learns that his brother whom he's never seen in
years has had a stroke. The brother lives a hundred miles away in
Stillwater (Texas). Though the sheriff offers to drive him there he
refuses on the flimsy grounds that he doesn't want to turn up in a
police car.
So he exchanges his tractor for a lawn mower and trailer and with
only his old dog and absolutely nothing else, food, clothes etc,
except for $20 he sets off.
Now, if you've seen The Straight Story you'll be sensing
resemblances and also differences. Borgnine is not Richard
Farnsworth, he is like Anthony Quinn your all-purpose weepy
character. We also learn much more about the state of the brother
and his wife. After his stroke the brother can't hear, talk, move
and won't regain consciousness "in any meaningful way." The doctor
says he might as well stay (and die) at home. There is also emphasis
given to the 'coloured help' who is also best of friends with the
wife, and the new local minister who is black. In fact we're 50
minutes into the film before Otis sets off on his journey.
The lawn mower breaks down en route because the local friendly
dealer has sold him one with a second hand engine. So Otis calls the
sheriff for a lift. By the time he arrives (the exact length of his
journey which by car would be a couple of hours is vague) his
brother is dead and buried.
At this point standing on the widow's porch we learn that Otis had
never spoken to his brother and his wife because he, Otis, was in
love with her. But it turns out that she thought he had died in the
war (WWII) and he never opened the letter she sent which would have
explained things. But with one dead brother out of the way it seems
they can resume where they left off 50 plus years ago. And it's
happy ending
Judging which is the better film is not even going to get your brain
in first gear. To some surprise the film was shown at the San
Sebastien Film Festival, and is an independent film whereas The
Straight Story had not only Lynch's name on it but Disney. Abilene
doesn't appear to be a rip off because both films were released
about the same time and they do have a quite different emphasis. It
is, though, a very odd co-incidence especially the lawn mower trip. |
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Notes
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