Filmmaker and “Twin Peaks” Co-Creator David Lynch Passes Away at Age of 78, Directed Disney’s “The Straight Story”
Legendary filmmaker David Lynch has sadly passed away at the age of 78, after a decades-spanning career that included the co-creation of the beloved mystery drama series Twin Peaks for the ABC Network in 1990 and directing the acclaimed biographical film The Straight Story for Disney in 1999.
Today the family of David Lynch released a statement announcing that the filmmaker had passed away: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch. We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’ It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way." As a director, Lynch was best known for his often-surrealist films including Eraserhead (1977), The Elephant Man (1980), and Blue Velvet (1986). He also famously helmed the first big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction novel Dune in 1984, after turning down the opportunity to direct Return of the Jedi for Lucasfilm. His later period movies included Lost Highway (1997), Mulholland Drive (2001), and Inland Empire (2006), all of which added to his cult mystique.
In 1990 Lynch co-created (with novelist and screenwriter Mark Frost) the ABC mystery drama Twin Peaks, which captured audiences’ attention via its use of whimsically mind-bending storytelling and memorably eccentric characters. Current CEO of The Walt Disney Company Bob Iger– who served as president of ABC Entertainment at the time– played a key role in getting the offbeat, unconventional Twin Peaks on the air. The series has gone on to become a cult classic among television fans, spawned a theatrical film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me in 1992, and it was revived for an acclaimed Showtime sequel miniseries– spearheaded by Lynch himself (who reprised his role as FBI Agent Gordon)– in 2017.
David Lynch also directed the 1999 biographical drama The Straight Story, which was distributed by the Disney-owned Buena Vista Pictures. This film is the true story of World War II veteran Alvin Straight, who drove his tractor from Iowa to Wisconsin to visit his ailing brother, because he did not qualify for a driver’s license. The Straight Story was nominated for the Palm D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and actor Richard Farnsworth received an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Straight. Other awards for which David Lynch has been nominated for throughout his career include multiple Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay, British Academy Film Awards, Directors’ Guild of America Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and Golden Globe Awards. In 1990 his film Wild at Heart won the Palm D’Or at Cannes. He will be missed and remembered fondly by all who love film and the creative arts.
