"Walk The Line"

I hear that Phoenix did his own singing and is very good. Did he pull off the role of Cash? Is it a memorable acting performance or more of a caricature?

 

Pheonix's voice has curves. Johnny Cash's voice had edges. I went into this movie determined to be open minded, but I just can't do it. Like the film if you want, for whatever reason you want, but I'll stick to the fact that a movie about Johnny Cash just can't be made.

Then there were a couple of script details that bothered me, mainly because they're so lethargically placed in every bio pic -- the scene, for example, where June says "You don't walk no line" and later "It burns" -- points at which the audience is supposed to go "Oh, that's where that song came from." These are tired movie cliches, and if ever there was subject matter deserving of more than just the usual formula, it's the life of Johnny Cash.

 

While that's a small detail, I feel your pain. The recent Elvis made for TV movie made me want to vomit, with 10 different people saying "That's All Right, Elvis" 100 times before he recorded That's All Right. Just stupid.

 

I was looking for it and up until the end of the film I was expecting it. The script claims to be based on the CASH autobiography (in part, anyway), and the Nickajack caves episode is a crucial turning point in that book. I can't believe they left it out, apparently substituting Mother Maybelle with a shotgun for it.

 

Come on, Cash's real life was no less a cliche than any of the story beats used in the movie: he had a rough home life as a youth, suffered a traumatic incident (his brother's death) that left him emotionally scarred, his struggle for success, his rise-and-fall from success, his drug addiction and recovery, etc. It was just like watching RAY or countless other biopics.

That said, I dug the pic quite a bit (as I wrote last week), but it is a biopic with all of the genre's limitations.

 

I'm not going to agree with anyone who says Cash's life was cliche. If it seems that way, it's because it has been turned into a cliche by the film, just like the lives of others in RAY and countless biopics.

 

As I recall, CASH tells of Johnny emerging from the caves to find June and Mother Maybelle waiting for him. The more I think about the omission of this event, the more I realize that it could have been the different heart this film needs.

 

Saw the film last night too. I thought it was well done for what it is - a Hollywood version of one person's life. I didn't know that much about Cash before viewing the film. I'm more of a casual fan than a hardcore fan and I'm sure there will be folks who object to plenty of stuff in the film, but I thought it was well done overall. In the end I think the message of the film carried the message of his life - love conquers all. At least that's what I got out of it. Plus it was fun to imagine along with the film what it must have been like to be among the other early rock-n-roll figures on tour together. Those folks really were pioneers in every sense - I'd heard that word used before, but didn't catch the sense of it until seeing the film. So for that alone the movie was worth the price of admission - historical inaccuracies aside.
-------- Chris

 

I got stuck in a record shop this afternoon that was playing the soundtrack CD, and Phoenix is no Johnny Cash soundalike. Singing in a low register does not make you Johnny Cash. Maybe it works better in the context of seeing his performance in the film, but on record, it sounds laughable. He hasn't got the resonance, and he can't hit Cash's low notes, so he substitutes higher ones. Kudos to him for learning the songs, and giving it a try for the flick, but as for the soundtrack album, I wanted to go up to the clerks playing the thing and say, "If you're gonna play Johnny Cash, play Johnny Cash!"

 

Like in Backbeat when John gripes about playing in the clubs "eight days a week."
I'm looking forward to seeing Walk the Line, though.

 

This does look good! I plan to watch it next saturday.

 

It's the same argument every time a bio pic comes out. Joaquin Phoenix is no Johnny Cash. Reese Witherspoon is no June Carter. Val Kilmer is no Jim Morrison. Kyle MacLachlan is no Ray Manzarek. Jimmy Stewart is no Glenn Miller. Every time there is a mention of Jimi Hendrix bio pic, everyone freaks out. "This person can't play Jimi Hendrix. That person can't. No one can play Jimmy." Bio pics have to be one of the hardest genres for actors and actresses. Everyone is going to compare you to the real person.

Hate watching films were the actors voice is dubbed with someone else singing. Check George Clooney Oh Brother Where Art Thou for reference. Looks so phony.

Folks, maybe try suspending your beliefs a bit when you go see this type of film.

G/f and I saw Walk The Line last night (7pm showing) to a packed house. Was surprised to see a lot of the patrons were older than us.

Thought the film was wonderful. Great performances. Was impressed that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were singing their own parts. It made the film more realistic. Right from the start of the film, I parked my thought about Joaquin's voice. Yes, he's no Johnny. Who is? Enjoyed this much more than Ray. Audience seemed to enjoy it as well.

Seeing the film inspired us to get up today and listen to The Essential Johnny Cash. I even pulled out my ac guitar and strummed along to a few tunes.

I recommend this film. If you suspend your beliefs a bit, it might help you enjoy the movie more.

 

I think it's great if people enjoy the film, especially if it inspires them to go listen to the man's music. And you may have a point re: the same old gripes about biopics. I think the problem here is that some of us are purists and our respect, even our reverence, for the man Johnny Cash was and the musician he remains makes us protective of his memory. While these may be some of the same old gripes, the fact is that for years to come this movie will be all that many know about Johnny Cash, and considering the amount of documentation the man left behind (some of which the filmmakers claim is source material for the script) I personally think more could have been done to make it more faithful to Cash's vision and to rough road he walked. For the many who will take this film as fact, I think more of the facts should have been preserved.

We seem neatly divided in this discussion. As I was telling some friends of mine who asked me about the film yesterday, I am probably not one to look to for an objective critique of I WALK THE LINE. I guess I am blessed and/or cursed with knowing too much of the story.

 

i heard the soundtrack, and phoenix sounds like someone doing kareoke trying to do johnny cash. not very good at all.

actually, witherspoon's songs were the best on the soundtrack.

i know shelby lynne is in the movie, does she have a singing part?

renny

 

Shelby doesn't have a singing part and Shooter Jennings portrayed Waylon

 

So, was Waylon's hair THAT long back in the 60's?

 

It wasn't long in the 1960s at all