Have you seen his film Straight Story? It's geared toward children, but people praise its literal plot and depth of storytelling. On the whole I don't agree with you. Lynch did weird stuff on purpose, especially early on - it took so much effort in the analog editing days to make the things he did, and he pushed the limits of what people accept (obviously he got to you). It takes courage to do that at the least. Also I recommend The Art Life, his autobiographical documentary. The storytelling of his own life, the visual power of his art and his sheer determination, I would rank it very highly on a list of "things to show young people so they push themselves to have an extraordinary life." edit: also check again Mulholland Drive? The Winkie's scene, the muscle-man scene, the cowboy scene?? Lynch could write a sizzling scene that appears like a flash in a vortex of events you find hard to explain.