Walk the Line (2005)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

James Mangold

Writers (WGA):

Johnny Cash (book)
Gill Dennis (written by) ...

Release Date:

18 November 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Love is a burning thing.

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Prison | Johnny Cash | Concert | Germany

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 28 wins & 26 nominations

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Cash (USA) (original script title)
Walk the Line (Germany)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

136 min | 153 min (extended cut)

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

UK:12A | USA:PG-13 | Ireland:12A | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:PG | Norway:11 | Germany:6 | Australia:M | Czech Republic:12 | Netherlands:MG6 | Brazil:12 | Spain:18 | Argentina:13 | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/12 | Malaysia:U | Hungary:14 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Canada:G (Quebec) | France:U | South Korea:15 | Japan:PG-12

Filming Locations:

Arkansas, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

When Johnny Cash wakes up on the tour bus, just after the Folsom Prison performance, he walks past a passed-out Luther Perkins (his guitarist) who has a lit cigarette in his mouth, and he puts out Luther's cigarette. Luther Perkins died months after the 'At Folsom Prison' recording/performance. He fell asleep in his Tennessee home with a lit cigarette in his mouth, and died from injuries sustained in the resulting fire.

Goofs:

Continuity: When June is throwing the beer bottles at the guys, in the long shot, Johnny jumps behind the fallen table, and there is nothing in front of it. In the close-up there is a chair in front of the table. When June leaves, the chair is gone again.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

References Mary Poppins (1964)

Soundtrack:

I Was There When It Happened

Great film

Considering the formula junk coming out of Hollywood these days, I was blown away by how good this movie was. The direction was perfect. Using close ups to get us in under the skin of Johnny Cash. And since it was a period piece, he could have bored us with lots of cgi of Memphis and L.A. to take us back in time. Instead he used the actors and the music to take us there. Biopics naturally have a formula to them, but the director and screenwriter did not take us down the track of overly sentimental scenes. These were real and done with a bit of well placed humor. Just like real life. Afterall you still have to follow the real lives of Johnny and June. You can't make it up, just to be original! The movie was also a movie you can take most of the family to. No nudity and sex to SHOW how in love they are, just real dialog...it's nice to hear REAL dialog and not just another chase scene, or four letter word. Yes, some movies need that to tell the story, this one doesn't. This movie goes onto my short list of great biopics, with "Ray". Not much else comes close to Ray or Walk the Line. The true test of any biopics is: can you still understand the plot even if you never heard of the people the movie is about. This movie is a great love story even if you never heard of Johnny and June Cash. Oscars all around I say! Plus I loved the Rockabilly music through out the movie.