Walk The Line

[swmdrayfan]

I finally got a chance to see Walk The Line yesterday, and I have to say I was knocked out by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon's portrayals of Johnny Cash & June Carter. Witherspoon went up a couple of notches in my book. Excellent film, excellent sound track. Nicely done by everyone involved.

[another view]

Excellent movie. I got home and ordered the live Folsom Prison CD from BMG and they were out of it - guess I"m not the only one. They even got the instruments right from a historical standpoint. I'm not sure how common Speed Graphic 4x5 cameras were for PJ's in the late 60's though.

[adina]

We might go see this one this weekend. Depends. We might go see an actual play instead.

I'll have my review in shortly after watching....

[payn817]

I have heard mixed feelings on this one. Most of my friends love it, however, my parents (mom is June's cousin) say it is not a fair portrayal of the two. Guess I need to see it myself.

[mjs1973]

I saw it opening night and I loved it!!! My whole family are huge Johnny Cash fans. It was a very sad day when he passed away, made me cry. None of my family have ever cared for June Carter tho... To us June was Johnny's Yoko. I do think that Reese did a great job with the caracter tho. I'm not a big fan of hers either, but she did impress me in this movie. I was equally impressed with Joaquin's portrayal of Johnny. The way he played the guitar with his arm wrapped around it just like Johnny did, the look, the sound, it was all right on. I also liked the fact that they did all their own signing.

His Live from prison albums are great, and I also highly recomend getting the 5 CD box set, Unearthed. I took the set to work with me when I got it, and listened to the whole thing from start to finish. It's almost as if he is singing his own eulogy. As the CD's go on, you can hear the decline of his voice, and it makes them all the more moving. Definelty worth the price if your a Cash fan.

[cambece]

My girl friend loves jonny cash and wants to see this movie. i dont know if i want to see this

Cambece

[another view]

Give it a chance! It's really a good movie, Cash fan or not. I finally saw "Ray" yesterday and I'd give "Walk The Line" a higher rating for a lot of reasons. I didn't know too much about Johnny Cash before the movie but since then I bought the Folsom Prison CD and my wife got me a single-disc compilation. Anyone with a career that long has to be doing something right, and it's definately worth checking them out.

Mike, that would be really interesting to hear such a long retrospective of work like that - you can really get a feel for what someone is saying and doing that way.

[walterick]

We saw Walk the Line over the holiday break. I must say, very well done movie. Gripping from the very beginning with that rockabilly beat. You WILL tap your feet! Of course very good performances by Phoenix and Witherspoon, the latter of which I disliked before and have tenuous respect for now. Favorite scenes: opening; playing for the record exec; and the close-up duet between Cash & Carter.

Funny, I was cheering the whole time for June to say "no!";)

Oh, and I think Ray was the much better movie.

[another view]

Oh, and I think Ray was the much better movie.

I think Ray won a lot of awards so maybe I'm wierd (maybe? )... Here's what I didn't like about it:

It was long. If I watched it again (doubtful) I'd probably be looking for things that could be cut, probably starting with the drug scenes. We get it, he was hooked. It's very obvious in both Ray and Walk The Line, but Walk The Line wasn't stretched into a 2-1/2 hour movie. I hate the fact that both of these guys got wrapped up in this stuff, but it was part of their story and deserves to be told. There was so much time spent on it in Ray that it seems like they were trying to make it out to be almost as important to who he was as his music.

All the record companies were there to help him, not themselves. I'm sure times were different in the late 50's thru 60's and I have no personal experience working with record companies. I didn't miss the scene of the "payola" with getting his record on the radio, and I know that was about the only way that it happened in those days. I've been around music enough to know that most people aren't going to try to make you rich. They want you to be successful, but they want their cut more than anything else. If you don't want to play by their rules, someone else will. The movie made this whole scene out to be way too easy...

[walterick]

Actually, the interesting thing is Walk the Line was 2 hours and 16 minutes long. But when I left the theater, I was wanting more...

I felt Ray was the better movie in part because Jamie Foxx did an OUTSTANDING job as Ray Charles. I mean, if there was a man on this earth who could have done Ray Charles better I would love to meet him. Absolutely perfect performance and fully deserving of the Academy Award for Best Actor that year. Were the drug scenes too much? Possibly, but I leave my faith in the hands of the writers, director and producers who researched the man's life and determined what the significant events were worth putting in the movie. Also, I must confess that the movie Ray was put together with more of a happy, bouncey feel which simulated his music more accurately. The scene where he improvs the song "What'd I Say" live in that club and some of the cuts between his song writing scenes and raucous recording scenes were outstanding. Contrast that to the tone of Walk the Line which was, appropriately, cooler and more mellow, again mirroring the mood of Johnny Cash's music and life accurately. My personal bias is toward happy, bouncey music so I'm sure this played into my take on the films.

That having been said, Ray felt like a long movie, where Walk the Line was too short!

[another view]

So only about a 15 minute difference? Never would have guessed that!

Jamie Foxx did an excellent job, agree with that.

[adina]

Finally saw Walk the Line. We were surprised it was still in the theaters when we went out on Saturday.

Loved it. The whole thing was great. I love that they did their own singing, and that they did a nice job on it.

Thumbs up from us!

[Photo-John]

None of my family have ever cared for June Carter tho... To us June was Johnny's Yoko.

I hope you don't really think that June Carter is like Yoko. I love June Carter almost as much as Johnny Cash. She's got that great mountain twang and she's got an impeccable pedigree. I got to see them both once. I'm grateful I had the opportunity.

Haven't seen the movie. I was worried it would let me down. I think I'm starting to come around, though. Of course, I'll wait to rent it. I hate movie theatres. Movies are much better in my own house, with my kitty cats.

[Liz]

I'll wait to rent it. I hate movie theatres. Movies are much better in my own house, with my kitty cats.

It's coming out on DVD a week from tomorrow - Feb 28th.

Liz

[adina]

Of course, I'll wait to rent it. I hate movie theatres. Movies are much better in my own house, with my kitty cats.

Are you telling us you're a crazy cat lady?

[mjs1973]

I got to see them both once. I'm grateful I had the opportunity.

That is so cool PJ! I would have given just about anything to see Johnny Cash. I would have given even more to give my dad the chance to see him.

I felt the same way about Waylon Jennings too. Now all I have left is Willie and Merl!

As for June, well, what can I say... Being the youngest in my family, I was pre-exposed to my dads and sisters dislike for her. I have since listen to some of her stuff and it's ok, but it dosen't do the same thing for me as Johnny does.

[swmdrayfan]

This thread reminded me of something....

Fan Fair '86. Forgive the quality, it's a crop from a print. I have the negative upstairs......this is faster. The other guy is Carl Perkins.
John

[PhotoGirl]

I just saw this movie this weekend--very good film!! The music is really good, and the acting was good too. I didn't know anything about Cash's life before viewing this film, so I learned a lot; he had an interesting life and he was very talented. I loved the love story between June and Johnny, it's nice to know they lasted together for a really long time.Check this movie out, I highly recommend it!!