Walk the Line (2005)

A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

Director:

James Mangold

Writers:

Johnny Cash (book), Johnny Cash (book),

Stars:

Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin

Won 1 Oscar. Another 34 wins & 28 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joaquin Phoenix	...	John R. Cash
Reese Witherspoon	...	June Carter
Ginnifer Goodwin	...	Vivian Cash
Robert Patrick	...	Ray Cash
Dallas Roberts	...	Sam Phillips
Dan John Miller	...	Luther Perkins
Larry Bagby	...	Marshall Grant
Shelby Lynne	...	Carrie Cash
Tyler Hilton	...	Elvis Presley
Waylon Payne	...	Jerry Lee Lewis (as Waylon Malloy Payne)
Shooter Jennings	...	Waylon Jennings
Sandra Ellis Lafferty	...	Maybelle Carter
Dan Beene	...	Ezra Carter
Clay Steakley	...	W.S. 'Fluke' Holland
Johnathan Rice	...	Roy Orbison

Storyline

While growing up in the Great Depression era, Johnny Cash takes an interest in music and eventually moves out of his Arkansas town to join the air force in Germany. While there, he buys his first guitar and writes his own music, and proposes to Vivian. When they got married, they settled in Tennessee and with a daughter, he supported the family by being a salesman. He discovers a man who can pursue his dreams and ends up getting a record with the boys. Shortly after that, he was on a short tour, promoting his songs, and meets the already famous and beautiful June Carter. Then as they get on the long-term tours with June, the boys, and Jerry Lee Lewis, they have this unspoken relationship that grows. But when June leaves the tour because of his behavior, he was a drug addict. His marriage was also falling apart, and when he sees June years later at an awards show, he forces June to tour with them again, promising June to support her two kids and herself. While the tour goes on, the ...

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Plot Keywords:

marriage | prison | germany | concert | love | 

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Taglines:

Love is a burning thing.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language, thematic material and depiction of drug dependency

Details

Official Sites:

20th Century Fox [br] Twentieth Century Fox [us]

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

18 November 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Johnny & June - Pasión y locura

Filming Locations:

Arkansas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$28,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$149,345 (New Zealand) (10 March 2006)

Gross:

$119,518,352 (USA) (28 April 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Tree Line Films, Konrad Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min 153 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Waylon Payne has a few personal connections to the characters in the film. Marshall Grant, bassist for The Tennessee Three, discovered Sammi Smith, Payne's mother. Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash's friend and collaborator, was his godfather.

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Goofs

The second time that the band is in the Folsom prison, when Johnny is introduced, the guitar player (playing the telecaster) is playing different chords than what is heard.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Warden: M-Mr. Cash? M-Mr. Cash?

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Connections

Referenced in 2011 MTV Movie Awards (2011)

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Soundtracks

"In the Sweet By and By"
Written by Sanford F. Bennett and Joseph Webster (as Joseph P. Webster)

User Reviews

Magical performance by Reese Witherspoon

"Walk the Line" is without question the zenith of Reese Witherspoon's acting career thus far. Joaquin Phoenix IS Johnny Cash in this biopic, but Reese as June Carter Cash sets this film on fire. It is one thing to portray a person's life, with feeling and emotion, something which Joaquin pulls off effortlessly. However, it is quite another to make a portrayal bigger than life, and Reese makes June Carter Cash the central character of this film.

To say that Reese steals the show is an understatement. Reese becomes a lightning rod for Joaquin's character, in a way that is actually quite scary. After all, Reese is from Nashville, and her Southern affect is flawless and absolutely winning. Suffice it to say that Reese will thankfully be present when the Academy Awards are presented next year. She might want to get a few words ready.

This movie will not be everyone's favorite flick, if for no other reason than that it is a biopic of flawed, Southern characters. However, perhaps the very flaws that imbue these characters with vitality and realism can establish the acting of Joaquin and Reese with an almost spiritual meaning, as they live these real people on screen. But in the final analysis, Reese Witherspoon will become the greatest contemporary screen actor upon release of this film. See for yourself. You read it here first.