I'm the son of a bitch that named you Sue.

I finally got a chance to watch Walk The Line. I was anxious to see this movie for several reasons. First was the buzz. There were unavoidable comparisons to Ray. Everybody that I talked to started their assessment with, “It’s great; just like Ray.”
I loved Ray. I thought it was a great movie. Nobody that I talked to had anything negative to say about Walk The Line. On top of that I kept seeing the words “Oscar-worthy performance” popping up next to Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon’s names. Throw in the intriguing trailer and the “Jackson” music video on CMT and I was psyched. The second reason I wanted to see it was the subject matter. I like Johnny Cash’s music but I’m not that familiar with his back story. Admittedly, I am not as big a fan of Cash as I am of fellow Highwaymen Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings or even Ray Charles for that matter. Still I count I Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire, and A Boy Named Sue as favorites.

My feeling is this; It was good. It was real good. I didn’t think it was great. There is no question that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both turned in superb acting performances. Phoenix’s portrayal of Cash’s mannerisms, style, and rhythm was spot on. Similarly Reese Witherspoon’s performance as June Carter Cash gave the film depth and soul. The realization that they sang their own vocals just blew me away.

I had only two problems with the film. First, It didn’t quite quench my thirst for knowledge about Johnny Cash and his beginnings. Bob Bloom of The Journal and Courier put it this way.
“One moment we see a young Cash lying in bed weeping at the loss of his brother, the next he is joining the military. His first wife, Vivian is introduced talking to Cash via long distance, with him asking her to marry him. The next scene shows Cash wandering through a music store in Germany, picking up a guitar and teaching himself to play.No motivation or explanation for these actions are given. (Writers) Dennis and Mangold simply rush through events to get to what the audience expects — Johnny Cash, singer, and the beginning of his tumultuous courtship of Carter.”
This isn’t all bad. It just makes me want to read Man in Black and Cash: An Autobiography for more details.

The other problem that I had may have been more with me than the movie. I wasn’t rooting for him. I kept waiting for Phoenix to give me some reason to want to see Cash overcome his demons. More importantly I wanted to know why June Carter wanted him to overcome his demons. Amidst the drinking, drugs, lying, and cheating I wanted a glimpse of a redeemable quality. I found myself siding with the father’s assessment of his son’s life and muttering, “Don’t do it…” when Cash proposes in front of a live audience. I can’t point to a moment in the movie that validated their love and that bothers me.

I can’t help but think that Walk The Line is a very good movie that narrowly missed being truly great. Perhaps reading a detailed autobiography followed by a second viewing will change my mind.