Review: Walk the Line
“Walk the Line” depicts Johnny Cash in his tumultuous 20s – the women, wine, music, pills, success and failure. Those searching for a recap of the born again and late-90s comeback years will have to look elsewhere. This movie portrays the events that formed Johnny Cash’s unique mix of rock, country and blues.
Following the footsteps of 1980’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” (the story of Loretta Lynn), 1985’s “Sweet Dreams” (Patsy Cline), and 1989’s “Great Balls of Fire” (Jerry Lee Lewis), “Walk the Line” includes itself in the country music film sub-genre. The aforementioned movies did little to light up the box office yet “Walk the Line” has been doing steady business ($55 million at press). Industry analysts attribute the success to the recent popularity of Cash’s Nine Inch Nail’s “Hurt” remake.
Biopics flatter actors. Sissy Spacek snagged an Oscar for her gritty portrayal of Loretta Lynn in “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” Jamie Foxx picked up an Academy Award for his striking depiction of Ray Charles in “Ray.” As expected, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are generating loads of Oscar buzz for their A-grade performances.
“Ray” and “Walk the Line” bear a number of similarities. Both artists grow up in the South, have a disturbing childhood experience, earn success, acquire drug habits, get in legal trouble due to habits, rehabilitate painfully and are redeemed emotionally and commercially. The music is what sets the two movies apart.
Phoenix (Johnny Cash) and Witherspoon (June Carter) sing the familiar tunes in the movies, an attraction vaunted by the film’s producers. Their voices are surprisingly effective but the whole exercise smacks of Hollywood gimmickry. Was it necessary to hear Phoenix belt out “Ring of Fire” when Cash’s voice would more than suffice? Foxx lip-synched in “Ray” all the way to his Oscar acceptance speech.
“Walk the Line” begins during Cash’s childhood on an Arkansas farm. He lived an honest life – working on a farm, listening to country music. Cash’s hard-drinking father left searing memories on young Johnny, even blaming him for his older brother’s accidental death. Cash moves on to the Air Force, gets married but still searches for his voice. He auditions at Sun Records and is signed after being challenged to perform an original song instead of a languid gospel rehash.
What ensues is Cash’s wild Sun Record’s tour with Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and June Carter. Cash becomes infatuated with Carter after an incident where she entangles herself on Cash’s guitar backstage. Both Cash and Carter are married, which presents an obstacle for Cash.
Cash dives into a pill habit, partly fueled by his obsession with June Carter, and destroys his marriage. Carter provides his redemption by eventually agreeing to marry him. Carter’s family even chases off Cash’s drug pusher in one comical scene.
One complaint: the characters don’t age. Cash looks identical when he leaves for the Air Force in the 50s and when he plays the infamous 1968 Folsom Prison gig. If “Mr. Holland’s Opus” could do it in 1995, there’s no excuse to forego aging makeup in 2005.
“Walk the Line” is worth the price of admission. There’s great acting (albeit, with some clichés), good cinematography and an above-par script. However, the movie does suffer from biopic clichés but does not transcend them as “Ray” did. “Walk the Line” is good, not great.
