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Topic: 'Walk The Line' movie...what is the truth? |
Glen Derksen
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 26 Jan 2011 2:50 pm |
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| After reading some of Johnny Cash's biographys and following his career, I was was thoroughly disgusted by the movie. First, Johnny Cash's character seemed to make him out to be a confused nitwit. And then, Johnny Cash's father was made out to be a perpetual tyrant, constantly putting him down, and then June Carter was made out to be an ill tempered, intolerant woman. I've always believed that Johnny Cash was a man of dignity and character even though he was erratic when strung out on pills. And I've always thought that Ray Cash was a mild mannered, and positive individual and June, a patient, tender sort of woman. Any thoughts on this? |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 26 Jan 2011 3:53 pm
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I worked with Tommy Cash for 7 years and at the time the movie came out. I know Tommy commented on how they portrayed their father. He did like Reece's portrayal of June.
I've watched parts of the movie but with all the theatrics that Hollywood adds to movies I've never been able to watch it all.
As a side note, the movie got Tommy a big audience at a show in Hudson Florida (Tampa suburb) at their annual Sea Food Festival. The movie was released on a Friday and it was being hyped in all the news including Tampa TV stations and newspaper. Incidentally we were booked for a show on Saturday night and Tommy got free publicity as they mentioned Tommy's appearance when they talked about the movie. When we did our sound check the pavillion was already full, when we went on later in additon to the full pavillion (which was open on the sides) there were 9 to 12 deep people standing around the pavillion. |
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Jack Francis
From:
Queen Creek, Arizona, USA
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Posted 26 Jan 2011 5:40 pm
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After the movie came out I watched an interview with Merle Haggard and he was asked if he'd like to see a movie based on his life...he answered that he wouldn't if it was done like Johnny's.
He said that it was pretty bad and not even close to reality....pretty sad. 
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Glen Derksen
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 26 Jan 2011 9:19 pm
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| I will give credit where it's due. The cars, hairstyles, and clothing seemed to fit the timelines, and for a non-country singer, Joaquin Phoenix did a pretty reasonable job of sounding like Johnny Cash, which not very many people can do. |
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Scott Shipley
From:
The Ozark Mountains
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 6:19 am
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hollywood does movies....they cant make money doing factual documentaries so they have no interest.
what would you expect. |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 7:07 am
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For one, let's not confuse "factual documentries" with movies, those two things have nothing in common.
The concept of factual is generally the viewpoint of one person, I imagine Johnny's first wife has rather different recollections of those years in SoCal than our Johnny.
As music-bio films go, this is probably one of the best around, of course there hasn't been much prior that was worth a lick of .. well y'know.
Aside from Johnny's dad taking on such an unlovable persona in the film character, what was with Shooter's inerpretation of Waylon, he looked like a post-Easy Rider hippy rather than Waylon in '65.
I was waiting for him to jump on a chopper and ride off into the sunset to the strains of Hendrix.
Seriously, it just don't fit.
And the scene at Sun, where Johnny and the boys whip up material in an afternoon, it took multiple shaky sessions over days for Sam Phillips to get that take from Johnny. They cut a buttload of gospel and country standards. Does that look good onscreen, nah.. they're after moments.
I liked it okay, although Witherspoon and Phoenix were way too short!
And I suspect June Carter may have been rather intolerant woman to Johnny, y'know, in the early days, which is what the film covers. After all, it's not all coffee and biscuits that shifts a fella from a steady diet of reds and whites.
_________________
Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly. |
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Joey Ace
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 8:03 am
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I appreciated the subtle reference when Johnny took a lit cigarette out of the mouth of a sleeping Luther, on the bus.
The writers must have done some homework. |
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Randall Meeker
From:
Whitehouse, Ohio, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 8:41 am Let's use our sizeable brains and our experience
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There's reality and then there are movies.
They are seperate and different.
Reality is a recollection of the past - pieced together from different sources.
Movie screenplays are written by one or more persons with Directors and Producers guiding them. The writers interest is in performing a job that will get them hired again to write another screenplay. So certain liberties and conventions are used. If the movie produces a popular response to the film - then the writers have done their job.
Even NPR will color or "spin" their topics - although I find it closer to the truth than most other sources. Holywood - not so much, it's about money, sales, awards, box office, spin offs, CA$H money not Cash, Johnny.
_________________
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Lap Steels & Dobros |
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Bill Hatcher
From:
Atlanta Ga. USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 9:17 am
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| Jason Odd wrote: |
For one, let's not confuse "factual documentries" with movies, those two things have nothing in common.
I liked it okay, although Witherspoon and Phoenix were way too short!
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I am not confusing them. you are confused. i am saying that hollywood would not make any money making a factual doc. on cash, so what they made is a movie.
in regards to the height of the actors....
i played guitar for cash in atlanta with the atlanta symphony. i was surprised that he was not as tall as he looked on tv. btw..he was an incredible performer that concert and was very cordial during the rehearsal. |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 3:46 pm
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NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING could be as bad as that piece of absolute crap that came out several years ago. [CHEATING HEART] .A bio[?] of Hank Williams without [ONE] note of Steel guitar in the whole damn movie. Would be like a movie about Jerry Lee with NO piano.      YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.
_________________
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Last edited by Charles Davidson on 27 Jan 2011 7:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Theresa Galbraith
From:
Goodlettsville,Tn. USA
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 4:10 pm
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I heard the movie wasn't exact. I still liked "Walking The Line".
I liked "Your Cheating Heart" alot. I don't know how factual it was.
We got "Crazy Heart" over the holidays and disliked it. The songs and story line disappointed us. |
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Jason Odd
From:
Stawell, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 27 Jan 2011 9:55 pm
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Actually Bill, I was alluding to the concept that a factual doco, is in reality the opinion of one person who edits it to a "vision." Perhaps I didn't word it very well.
A film on a real subject is very much the same thing, someone shapes it to a storyline, y'know they need a narrative. In the Cash bio-pic they chose the romance-friendship relationship of June and Johnny.
_________________
Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly. |
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Marc Jenkins
From:
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 28 Jan 2011 8:18 am
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| Charles Davidson wrote: |
| . Would be like a movie about Jerry Lee with NO piano. |
Except that Hank didn't play steel guitar. |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 28 Jan 2011 1:13 pm
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That's true Marc,But what defined Hanks style MORE than Mr. Don  Or early Eddy Arnold without Little Roy,etc,In one scene of that stupid movie showed Hank on the opry with chick backup singers minus steel,parts had violin not fiddles [yes I'm aware they are the same instrument] playing behind him. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Ray Minich
From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
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Posted 28 Jan 2011 3:34 pm
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I haven't read an "accurate" biography in 47 years. They're all embellished by the writer.
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Ron Davis
From:
Lake Arrowhead, California... We're a mile high. ;)
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2011 6:53 pm
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| Hollywood already has the script written in essence, the story of a cocky young outsider who faces early discrimination, has a personal problem to overcome, and ends by wiping his critics' noses in the dirt. And always, the love of a good woman.... They can plug in a musician, prizefighter, sports figure to their pre-made plot and all they have to change is the scenery and hairstyles. Sugar Ray, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Rocky Marciano - they've been making this movie for decades now. |
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Glen Derksen
From:
Alberta, Canada
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Posted 29 Jan 2011 10:09 pm
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| Even 'Titanic' had to be watered down (pardon the pun)by all this romance crapola, making the ship itself more of a prop than the true focal point of the movie, and yet the public still eats it up. |
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Alvin Blaine
From:
Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA
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Posted 29 Jan 2011 10:15 pm
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| David Mason wrote: |
| Hollywood already has the script written in essence, the story of a cocky young outsider who faces early discrimination, has a personal problem to overcome, and ends by wiping his critics' noses in the dirt. And always, the love of a good woman.... They can plug in a musician, prizefighter, sports figure to their pre-made plot and all they have to change is the scenery and hairstyles. Sugar Ray, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Rocky Marciano - they've been making this movie for decades now. |
There is another one in production right now about Bill Monroe, called "Blue Moon Of Kentucky". It's going to be a love story about Bill and his long time relationship with Bessie Mauldin.
The music is going to be produced by T-Bone Burnett and the story written by Callie Khouri(she wrote Thelma & Louise and I think she is T-Bones wife), and staring another husband & wife team playing Monroe & Mauldin.
The movie is possibly going to be out this fall for Monroe's 100 birthday. So far it looks about as accurate is the Johnny Cash one.
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 30 Jan 2011 8:13 am
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Are there any new stories, or have they all been told? The British literary critic Christopher Booker, has argued that there have only ever been seven basic plots, as follows:
1. 'Tragedy'. Hero with a fatal flaw meets tragic end. Macbeth or
Madame Bovary.
2. 'Comedy'. Not necessary laugh-out-loud, but always with a happy ending, typically of romantic fulfilment, as in Jane Austen.
3. 'Overcoming the Monster'. As in Frankenstein or 'Jaws'. Its psychological appeal is obvious and eternal.
4. 'Voyage and Return'. Booker argues that stories as diverse as Alice
in Wonderland and H G Wells' The Time Machine and Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner follow the same archetypal structure of personal development through leaving, then returning home.
5. 'Quest'. Whether the quest is for a holy grail, a whale, or a kidnapped child it is the plot that links a lot of the most popular fiction. The quest plot links Lords of the Rings with Moby Dick and a thousand others in between.
6. 'Rags to Riches'. The riches in question can be literal or metaphoric. See Cinderella, David Copperfield, Pygmalion.
7. 'Rebirth'. The 'rebirth' plot - where a central character suddenly finds a new reason for living - can be seen in A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, Crime and Punishment and Peer Gynt. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 30 Jan 2011 11:10 am
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I didn't like the movie. I thought Joaquin looked nothing like Johnny and came over a lot meaner than Johnny ever was. Obviously Reese Witherspoon looked nothing like June, although she did get the fooling around onstage pretty accurate if you watch the YouTube videos of June herself during the early period.
Hollywood always changes the facts. I was never happy with the Buddy Holly Story, where they invented a flight between Buddy and Jerry Allison which never happened.
A more interesting biography would be the Bill Haley story, but he's out of the highlights right now, so he's no longer commercial. |
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Chris LeDrew
From:
Canada
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Posted 2 Feb 2011 10:28 pm
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| Barry Blackwood wrote: |
Are there any new stories, or have they all been told? The British literary critic Christopher Booker, has argued that there have only ever been seven basic plots, as follows:
1. 'Tragedy'. Hero with a fatal flaw meets tragic end. Macbeth or
Madame Bovary.
2. 'Comedy'. Not necessary laugh-out-loud, but always with a happy ending, typically of romantic fulfilment, as in Jane Austen.
3. 'Overcoming the Monster'. As in Frankenstein or 'Jaws'. Its psychological appeal is obvious and eternal.
4. 'Voyage and Return'. Booker argues that stories as diverse as Alice
in Wonderland and H G Wells' The Time Machine and Coleridge's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner follow the same archetypal structure of personal development through leaving, then returning home.
5. 'Quest'. Whether the quest is for a holy grail, a whale, or a kidnapped child it is the plot that links a lot of the most popular fiction. The quest plot links Lords of the Rings with Moby Dick and a thousand others in between.
6. 'Rags to Riches'. The riches in question can be literal or metaphoric. See Cinderella, David Copperfield, Pygmalion.
7. 'Rebirth'. The 'rebirth' plot - where a central character suddenly finds a new reason for living - can be seen in A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, Crime and Punishment and Peer Gynt. |
And Aristotle's Poetics pretty much sums this up in one book - written in 350 BC. 
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Web: www.chrisledrew.com |
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