I'm not a Johnny Cash fan at all, know nothing about his music. Just watched the movie - it was cool, though the ending left me a little And I didn't really feel like I was taken on a journey with him, things just happened - he made a record, went on tour, became the headliner, etc. The only excitement I saw was the record being made & the one phone call to the wife from the tour. I dunno, maybe it needed a better director (who directed this??) - you could see things coming a mile away, predictability (even in a biopic) always blows. Some directors can craft things in such a way that they seem fresh even when they're not...

Anyway, for those who are into Johnny Cash at all - how did Joaqin do portraying him? His mannerisms & things... I like that he sang himself in some early scenes but I wonder if they should have just dubbed it - I wouldn't have believed he could get a record deal based on what they did in that audition But I do like see Joaquin play "tortured", he's so good @ it.

Did they really get engaged like that (on stage)??

And didn't Reese win an Oscar for this role? Can anyone tell me why?? Maybe they just liked her singing?? She was good, but an Oscar? Really?

I know I'm 2 years late, just wasn't in a hurry to see it. Any thoughts are appreciated

Good movie...
[Edited 12/23/06 0:39am]

CalhounSq said:

I'm not that knowlegable about J. Cash. Just started listening to his stuff once he let that rock/rap cat Rick Rubin produce him. I remember he was always on tv when I was little in the 70's tho. Joaquin really does seem to have his 'Cash-isms' down pat.

Though Reese was underwhelming to me in so many ways in this movie (the only thing that I liked really is that she could work her southern accent), I think, the only reason why she would have been deserving of her award is cause she really nailed June Carter. I guess these two were as convincing in their roles for me as Jaimie was in Ray. They sorta 'became' the charcters the were playing and convinced you you were really getting 'the characters' ' backstory.

On another side, more than the movie Walk The Line, I'd put money on the table to bet you'd get everything you ever needed to know or understand about Johnny & June's 'connection' to each other if you just go back and watch the last video he made before he died 'HURT'.... WHHHOOOOO LAWD...girl that's a gooood video! Sad as hell. If you remember at the end of the movie they said in the postscript that June died, then Johnny died four months after. Youtube HURT and you will totally get it: you know that man couldn't live after her soul departed this earth... um, um, um...almost makes you wanna believe there's such a thing as soulmates out there

Ottensen said:

I'll look the video up, thanks I remember everyone making a big deal out of it when it was out but since I wasn't into him I paid no attention...

They look pretty connected here:

http://www.youtube.com/wa...ed&search=

CalhounSq said:

For me the story seemed cliche even though it is true, its like here I am the tragic genius music star I have the token drug problem, feel sorry for me, worship me for my genius.


I'm not a Johnny Cash fan either in fact I hate country music, but if Hollywood is gonna keep pumpin' out the same old redundant crap, then just write a decent fucking fiction script. Not everybody that is famous needs a movie made out of their lifestory.

LordEvil said:

I hear you, the movie just kind of sat there for the most part. The most riveting scene for me was the proposal on stage, but then the movie was OVER

CalhounSq said:

I think alot of times with stories about musicians its the journey on the road to stardom that seems intriging to me. The drug problem thing and the life of excess thing to me seems played out. Everybody knows when you make it at a certain level you have money power and women.

It seems more interesting to me to see how the events play out when they get that manager who starts to make things happen for them. When they get the record deal and the days and nights in the studio recording that hit album. That seems to peak my interest more. I do enjoy watching the Classic Album series that they run on Vh1 Classic.

I think if somebody were to make a movie about Prince's lifestory the begining would seem more interesting the rise to popularity. I'd have to fast forward over the JW crap.

LordEvil said:

Same here They seemed to have glossed over a lot of those things in this film. Went from making the record (despite that horrible audition) & next thing you know he's on tour... and the next thing you know he's apparently headlining the tour... it just rolled on without bringing me into how he felt about everything that was happening. Maybe they cut too nuch out, maybe the script was lacking, I dunno... But the rise is definitely more interesting than the shit that happens once they're there - that's the part we all know about already

CalhounSq said:

I think that is the difference between "Ray" and "Walk The Line" Ray showed him on the journey to fame and him working on music in the studio. Walk The line jumped to much in the time line.

I was kind of put off by the ending as well. They rushed through it and just cut the film short.

i think JC's life was way too big and too eventful to fit into a two hour movie.

i felt kinda let down by the ending of 'walk the line' and i also felt like it limited his life story to one sliver of his existence, then rushed through it.

anyone who's ever read the man's autobiography "cash" knows that there's a TON of interesting stuff to his life, and i hope one day his life story can be revisited with more scope and more detail.

all of that said, i think phoenix did a pretty good job in the role. i was disappointed when i'd heard he was cast - i really wanted john cusack to get the part, i thought he'd be perfect - but i was impressed by what joaquim was able to crank out in the role.

reese as june? i dunno, i think there were really essential elements of june that reese left out. there always seemed to be a kind of old soul earthiness to june that simply does not exist in reese witherspoon...of course, this was when everyone was young, so that may not be relevant. she was charismatic in the role, and her musical performances were pretty great. oscar worthy? dunno.

I guess it was rushed through but in my mind I couldn't help but compare it to Ray, and I felt this succeeded where Ray failed. Ray had some amazing performances but was put together so willy nilly with no direction or focus, it really seemed almost like random vingnettes thrown together to make a movie. I think Walk the Line at least had a narrative, an introduction, a conflict, fabulous performances and at least somewhat of a resolution/conclusion. When Ray was over I thought, oh, that's it, then? And it was waaaaay too long.
I'd agree with some of the criticisms, but overall I really, really enjoyed it.

Anx said:

exactly

Johnny Cash was a cool fucking man. Some of his lyrics are a thing of genius.

CalhounSq said:

I personally wish they had focused more on the seedier side of things: more detailed drug scenes and more groupies, and the whole build up of that. Seriously. They only hinted at the female fan thing once in that movie.

minneapolisgenius said:

unless you're led zep, i'm sure groupie stories are pretty much 'heard one, ya heard 'em all'...especially with someone like johnny cash. of curse, i COULD be wrong. and the 'seedy' drug culture in his world probably wasn't all that interesting either...wasn't he mainly addicted to trucker speed?

Anx said:

Trucker speed is pretty seedy. And I never tire of groupie stories. It just fascinates me.


But yeah, I don't think Cash has a "mud shark" story.
[Edited 12/23/06 15:24pm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwcxf55fzHE

The video is indeed incredibly sad.

It makes me want to die, knowing now that I'll throw away my life and don't believe better things are coming after my death.



Johnny really made that song so much more than NIN's.



Feel sad.
[Edited 12/23/06 15:43pm]

Anx said:

Now that I've seen it John Cusak woulc have been really really interesting And I watched a few vids @ YouTube of them singing together, I kinda see what you mean w/ the "old soul" thing in reference to June. I think Reese pulled off the singing but not the mood, there was a perkiness about Reese that seemed a little much imo.

And Joaquin held the guitar like he was trying to strangle it - he constantly held it like that, where the real Cash looked so much more comfortable w/ this guitar. He played like a normal dude for the most part seems like.

jerseykrs said:

The film did make me curious about his songs. I'll probably never become a fan but I'd like to hear some of his lyrics

Anx said:

Do they have like crazy amazing groupie stories or something?

CarrieMpls said:

I think comparisons to Ray really hurt Walk the Line. For me Ray succeeded in taking me on a journey, I felt really satisfied when that film was over. And to have another biopic of another legend the very next year built up a lot of hopes I bet. But WTL just didn't come together in a way that felt whole for me.

CalhounSq said:

you have never heard about the mud shark urban legend story?

LordEvil said:

Nah...

CalhounSq said:

Apparently while in Seatle on tour they were staying near the warf and somebody in the entourage managed to talk a groupie into stuffing a mud shark in her. They asked Robert Plant just recently about this on VH1 Classic and he said "I don't remember, but thats not to say it isn't true".

LordEvil said:

CalhounSq said:

my intro to classic johnny cash music was the three themed CD compilations, "god", "love" and "murder". other fans may disagree, but i think it's really the ONLY compilation you'll ever need (you can get all three in a fairly affordable box set). he had a hand in picking out all the songs himself, and all three comps are divine. i have quite a bit of JC stuff, and i always keep coming back to these collections...i love the idea of compiling past classics by theme rather than chronologically. it's a fun idea and for his music, it works really well.

i think when i first listened to god/love/murder, i was taken by how much humor there was in his music. kind of dark, gallows humor, but he was a funny man. and i love the duets with june...they just send a chill through me, how great they sounded together. you could hear the love in their singing.

Anx said:

Thanks Anx, I'll use that as a starting point

I absolutely agree with you:

1. The movie was a typical biopic, predictable in every way, all the typical biopic subplots worked out in excruciating detail when, quite frankly, I didn't care.

2. Pacing was awful. There was no anticipation of anything. Scenes were flat.

3. Reese was nothing. Just blended right into the goddamn background. It could have been anyone in that role and it wouldn't have mattered. You should not win Oscars for this type of role, but just ask Julia Roberts how she won hers and you have your answer as to how Reese won - money. Hollywood is banking on this broad to be their next Meg Ryan.

4. Joaquin was merely OK.

5. Why did they portray the first wife as some sort of bitch - looked like she was putting up with quite a bit of shit from him all her damn life?

6. The MOVIE SHOULD HAVE ENDED WHERE THE TWO ARE IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS AT THE DAMN CONCERT. Just after he's asked her to marry him. It should have ended. But NOOOOO, they had to tack on another useless scene with his stupid parents. Way to fuck up an ending there. But the answer to your question is, yes, he really did ask her on stage at a concert here in Ontario. There was an article in the paper when the movie came out that profiled some of the people that were there in the audience and their reactions and memories.
[Edited 12/23/06 17:14pm]

VoicesCarry said:

Thanks for the info VC Good points all around

CalhounSq said:

Yes. Interesting stories (well, more like urban legends actually ) about a groupie and a fish, groupies with an octopus in a tub, donuts being stuffed in odd places, Jimmy and his whips and weird rituals, girls who were 12 and 13, John Bonham taking a shit in a Japanese groupie's purse, the band sitting at a table and people could clearly see four pairs of girls legs under the table giving them head in a public restaurant, etc.



Like I said, it fascinates me.