# 97

97: Walk the Line (2005)

Joaquin Phoenix (Johnny Cash), Reese Witherspoon (June Carter), Ginnifer Goodwin (Vivian Cash), Robert Patrick (Ray Cash)

 

When I first saw the trailer for this film I knew of three Johnny Cash songs: Ring of Fire, A Boy Named Sue, and The Wanderer, a collaboration he did with U2 on Zooropa (1993). I loved all three of these songs but I didn’t consider myself a Johnny Cash fan, I didn’t own any of his albums. After seeing this film I went out and bought my first Cash album—because of this film I fell in love with the “Man in Black.” I knew that I would see this film in the theater when it was released because I was already a Joaquin Phoenix fan. I fell for Joaquin in Inventing the Abbots (1997) and then was blown away by his phenomenal performance in Gladiator (2000). In Walk the Line both Phoenix and Witherspoon give performances of a lifetime. Both actors learned to sing and play for this film, which itself is impressive—but rather than merely impersonate Johnny and June, Phoenix and Witherspoon embody the couple who fall passionately in love with each other.

Biographical or biopics are a genre of film that I love. I enjoy learning something about a person or topic in a nice 90 minute to 2 hour film, however not all biopics are alike. I think Walk the Line is one of the best biographical films ever made. It’s an honest portrayal of Johnny and June Carter Cash. While some biography films turn into a cautionary tale or glorify or deify the subject—Walk the Line does none of those things. The film covers Johnny’s life from his childhood in Arkansas to his historic concert at Folsom Prison. We learn that he toured with such greats as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Waylon Jennings. This was the early days of rock n’ roll and Johnny was right in the thick of it. While on tour Johnny is introduced to pills (barbituates) and soon becomes addicted. His addiction ruins his marriage with Vivian, alienates him from his children, and devastates his career—and then June steps in.

While the film is considered a biopic of Johnny Cash, the film isn’t called Cash or Johnny Cash, or the Man in Black—because the film is really about the relationship of Johnny of June. Johnny was a fan of June Carter’s as a child, he kept track of her career while in the Air Force, and when he began touring with the Sun Records’ performers he finally meets her and sparks fly. I can’t help but fall completely in love with Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash in this film—a performance which earned Witherspoon an Oscar. She is charming and effervescent when onstage as June Carter, and offstage she’s a strong, moral woman who sees the good in Johnny when he’s at his worst. The performances in this film are first rate, but that’s not all there is to this film that makes it awesome. Rather than just hit every important historical highlight of Johnny Cash’s life, director Mangold focuses on the relationship of Johnny and June—and it’s their friendship and love that drives the film. While the music is certainly important and essential to the film, it plays a supporting role to their relationship. When Johnny hits rock bottom—June decides to help him. It’s because of her love and determination to help him kick his addiction that Johnny is given a second chance. As a result, he and his career are reborn.  The attraction of Johnny Cash is that he’s an everyman, he’s flawed, he made mistakes—but he also found love and it was that love that saved him. This is one of my favorite films because unlike all of the other films about rock stars, musicians or bands—this film doesn’t end with the star burning out or dying of a drug overdose. This film ends on an optimistic note but is also a very honest and genuine portrayal of Johnny Cash that champions the theme that love really does conquer all.

If you like this film I also recommend the following films which do not appear in the Lisa’s Top 100:

Houdini (1953)

Spartacus (1960)

Legally Blonde (2001)