I went to see the new Johnny Cash biographical movie, Walk The Line, today. Let me say, wow. Of course one hears what they're expecting ("Folsom Prison Blues," "Get Rhythm," "Ring of Fire," etc), but the movie was much more than that. It was about Johnny Cash the man and not only Johnny Cash the legend.
The movie traces his life from the time he lived in Dyess, Arkansas, and lost his older brother, Jack, who was killed in a saw mill, to his marriage to Vivian Liberto, to his days at Sun Records, through his fight with drugs, and finally to his tumultuous courtship of June Carter.
I can honestly say I think this is a better movie than Ray was last year, and I think Joaquin Phoenix and Resse Witherspoon will both be nominated for (and probably win) Oscars for it.
One scene which was particularly interesting (and indicitive of where Johnny Cash was in his life at that time) came fairly late in the movie. Johnny has June and her family (Mother Maybelle, Eck Carter, and her children) over to his new mansion, along with his parents. He has a highly emotional exchange with his father, and ends up running a tractor into the lake, and June pulling him from the water. He says "You should have left me." She responds later as to why she helped, "You're a friend, and friends help friends."
My favorite scene came very late in the movie, when Johnny, who has been repeatedly turned down in his proposals, proposes marriage on-stage during his and June's rendition of "Jackson" on night in Ontario (true story).
I would highly recommend this movie to every die-hard Johnny Cash fan, and also to any casual fan of Cash who is also interested in seeing a great performance.
I would also like to take this opportunity to say that the world hasn't been the same since Johnny Cash and June Carter-Cash died.
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