Walk the Line (2005)
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The film follows the tumultuous life of legendary singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, charting his rise to fame and his complicated romance with June Carter.
The story
The film begins in 1968 with Johnny Cash performing at Folsom State Prison. The narrative then moves back to 1944, depicting Cash's upbringing on a cotton farm in Arkansas. After serving in the military and finding his voice as a songwriter, Cash moves to Memphis and finds success with Sun Records. While touring as part of the Tennessee Two, he meets and falls for country music singer June Carter. Despite the complications of his growing drug addiction and the disapproval of his first wife, Vivian, Cash and June embark on a shared journey through the music scene, navigating the complexities of fame and personal turmoil.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins in 1968 with Johnny Cash performing at Folsom State Prison. The narrative flashes back to 1944, where 12-year-old Johnny is raised on a farm in Arkansas. After a tragic accident involving his brother Jack, he is blamed by his father. In 1950, he joins the Air Force, where he begins writing songs like 'Folsom Prison Blues.' After his discharge in 1954, he marries Vivian Liberto and moves to Memphis. He eventually finds success at Sun Records. While touring, he meets June Carter. Despite her initial rebuff, they become close friends. As his drug addiction worsens, he convinces June to join him on tour, leading to a complicated relationship and a strained dynamic with his wife. After a falling out and a divorce from Vivian, Cash moves to Nashville and eventually reconciles with June. The film concludes with a performance at Folsom Prison and a final scene where Cash and June perform a duet, leading to a public commitment to marry, while Cash also reconciles with his father.
- First release year
- 2005
- Runtime (minutes)
- 136
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Mangold
- Writers
- Gill Dennis · screenplay; James Mangold · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Joaquin Phoenix · Johnny Cash; Reese Witherspoon · June Carter; Ginnifer Goodwin · Vivian Liberto; Robert Patrick · Ray Cash
- Genres
- biographical drama
- Themes
- drug addiction; romance; fame; family conflict
- Tone and mood
- melodrama
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; musical; romance
- Source material / true-story basis
- Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words (1975) and Cash: The Autobiography (1997)
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and was a box office success.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 83% · scale: percentage · review count: 208; Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe Award · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · won; North Texas Film Critics Association Award · Best Picture · won; Golden Globe Award · Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy · won; Hollywood Film Award · Actor of the Year · won; North Texas Film Critics Association Award · Best Actor · won; Grammy Award · Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television, or Other Visual Media · won; Academy Award · Best Actress · won; Austin Film Critics Association Award · Best Actress · won; Awards Circuit Community Award · Best Actress in a Leading Role · won; BAFTA Award · Best Actress in a Leading Role · won; Boston Society of Film Critics Award · Best Actress · won; Critics' Choice Movie Award · Best Actress · won; Florida Film Critics Circle Award · Best Actress · won; Golden Globe Award · Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical · won; Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award · Best Actress · won; Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award · Best Actress · won; National Society of Film Critics Award · Best Actress · won; New York Film Critics Circle Award · Best Actress · won; North Texas Film Critics Association Award · Best Actress · won; Online Film & Television Association Award · Best Actress · won
- Production trivia
- The film's origin was a 1993 episode of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.; All of Cash's vocal tracks in the film and on the accompanying soundtrack are played and sung by Phoenix.; Reese Witherspoon had to perform her own vocals and learned to play the autoharp.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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