Walk the Line

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Walk the Line

Tthe movie is basically a love story - a big journey solely about June Carter and Johnny Cash's love, sprinkled with the pitfalls that plagued Cash in real life, such as drug abuse and a father casting blame for Johnny's brother's death, forever leaving Johnny Cash as the son who can do nothing right, no matter what. Although it is a love story between Carter and Cash, I hardly even conciously thought about the film merely being one. Yes, the film does focus majorly on the interactions between Carter and Cash and Cash's obsession with her, but the other aspect of the film, music, is also major.

In retrospect, the movie does seem so simply summed up, and it does focus for only a short time on the life of Cash before his entering of the music business, but the movie comes across as powerful emotionally, perhaps soley thanks to Jouquain Phoenix with some support from Reese witherspoon, who does do a good job of playing a caring woman who does indeed seem real. The supporting cast of Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, and Shelby Lynne (who play, in order, Cash's first wife - Vivian, Cash's dad - Ray, and Cash's mom - Carrie) are fantastic in their roles, and add some much needed dimension to the movie. They help to explain exactly what pushed Johnny Cash. Goodwin's character, Vivian, sadly, is pushed into a hole of a fairly one-note character, but adds a dimension to Vivian that another actress may have failed to add. And as for Shelby Lynne, who is a recording artist, finds the role of Carrie Cash, Johnny's mom, her first feature film debut. You could've fooled me - I found her rendition of Cash's mom as soulful in the first half, and disturbingly distant in the second.
I give this an 8 out 10.