Walk the Line
Walk the Line tells the story of the early years of country singer Johnny Cash and his relationship with singer June Carter. For seven years, Johnny and June Cash oversaw the production of this movie, before they passed in 2003. Director James Mangold (Identity, Girl, Interrupted) continued work on the film and it hit theatres on November 18, 2005.
Upon Johnny and June’s insistence, actors Joaquin Phoenix (who plays Johnny Cash) and Reese Witherspoon (who plays June Carter) actually sing in the movie. Both actors do a very good singing, and I couldn’t imagine the film without that element.
The movie starts out with Johnny as a boy, and his closeness with his brother Jack. Then, it moves quickly into his years in the Air Force and his first marriage with Vivian Liberto. What was most interesting to me was his early years as a musician; I liked seeing him and the Tennessee Two audition and get their first record deal. The latter half of the movie is spent on Johnny’s relationship with June Carter, whom he marries.
Johnny Cash is one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, and his story deserves to be heard. The movie itself runs a bit long at almost two hours and a half, so make sure to set some time aside. It might be hard to catch it in the theatre now, but make sure to rent this on DVD.
My Rating: 3.5 out of 5
No Comments Yet