Walk the Line (2005)

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:

Music Store | Concert | Amphetamine | Morality | Marriage Proposal

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Arkansas, USA

Company:

Fox 2000 Pictures

Trivia:

Reese Witherspoon appears for the first time 29 minutes into the movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene inside Johnny's car in the tour caravan, the position of June's feet changes several times.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: Walk the Line (#12.25)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Engine 143

Great performances make this worth checking out

I don't know about "Mangold the Auteur", and might need a bit more proof that this is really a director worth paying attention to, but this is a pretty watchable film. I found the story and film-making a bit predictable, like the usual bio-pic formula that you might expect if you've seen, say, coal miner's daughter, or any other bio-pic of someone you love. What makes this movie stand out is the two lead performances. Reese is unbelievably convincing as June Carter Cash. She almost disappears into the role. And her singing! Who knew???

And Joaquin! We've been waiting for him to deliver a really spectacular performance for some time, and this is finally it. I, for one, resisted the idea that ANYONE could portray the man in black, but he does a pretty fine job. Not just an impersonation, but actually a performance worth watching. Really fine.

Watch for the Jackson duet. Really awesome.