A old man with a yellow can go across country

A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.

The Dillydale County Fair has something for everyone--Mr. Stubborn is determined to win at "Whack a Clown," Miss Chatterbox and Mr. Grumpy are touring the fun house, and Miss Naughty just signed Mr. Persnickety up to catch a greased pig. In "Wildlife," Mr. Noisy, Miss Helpful, and Mr. Lazy are out in the wilderness interacting with bears and other creatures, while a day at the "Amusement Park" provides very different experiences for Mr. Strong, Mr. Happy, and Mr. Stubborn. "Beach" is the perfect setting for a day spent reading, parasailing, picnicking, or surfing, but Miss Helpful, Miss Daredevil, and Mr. Bump make a strange water-skiing trio in "Lake." Finally, Miss Sunshine is the perfect tour guide in "Science"--too bad Miss Whoops and Miss Helpful aren't equally exemplary employees.

A retired farmer and widower in his 70s, Alvin Straight learns one day that his distant brother Lyle has suffered a stroke and may not recover. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he still can, but his brother lives in Wisconsin, while Alvin is stuck in Iowa with no car and no driver's license. Then he hits on the idea of making the trip on his old lawnmower, thus beginning a picturesque and at times deeply spiritual odyssey.