Review of Walk the line

Reports have surfaced that Vivian Liberto, Cash's first wife portrayed by Gennifer Goodwin, came off badly in the film. More so she seemed to come across as someone protecting her husband to the best of her abilities. The film depicts rumors running rapid in regards to the friendship between Carter and Cash and Liberto only knew of what she'd heard. Thus, she reacted as such. Goodwin gave a wonderful performance in the role and was so deeply involved in the character that she said, "Every time I watched Joaquin and Reese on stage, I became upset because I identified with how Vivian lived for her love with this man."

Shelby Lynne, in her portrayal of Cash's mother, Carrie Cash will not soon be forgotten. Lynne has long captured audiences vocally, but now she will visually as well. Her feeling was that you didn't look at it and see Shelby Lynne. Honestly it was hard not to, as visible as she has been. You see Lynne really sink into the role and take on the persona of Carrie Cash as did Robert Patrick in the role of Cash's father, Ray Cash. The emotions they pull at the time of Jack's death will bring you to believe that the two really have lost a son.

For the cast involved with the musical traveling show, the producers decided to search for musicians who they could make into actors instead of actors to be made into musicians. Waylon Malloy Payne (Jerry Lee Lewis), Tyler Hilton (Elvis Presley), and Johnathan Rice (Roy Orbison) were cast as part of the musical touring group with Cash and Carter for their road tours. Of the three, you tend to look at the screen and wonder to yourself if that is indeed who they are portraying. This is prior to any of these artists really coming into their own personas so the differences in what we have seen since could differ.

Shooter Jennings portrayed his late father Waylon when he was rooming with Cash in the late sixties. Given the friendship between the elder Jennings and Cash, one would expect more time for Jennings on screen, but granted some of that interaction could be on the cutting room floor. I could still imagine Waylon with his "Stargunn" [Shooter's former band] t-shirt on and I'm sure he was looking down on his son during the filming with the same joy.

Mangold felt that if you want to hear Cash or Carter that you could purchase a record and if you want to hear Phoenix and Witherspoon, you can also purchase their record as they did all of the vocals on the soundtrack along with the rest of the cast. Remember, interpretation, not imitation. Would we recommend seeing the movie? Absolutely, can't wait for the DVD to see the deleted scenes. The story is really compelling. Will you learn everything there is to the Carter and Cash families? Impossible. I was really ready for the film to go on for another two hours when it completed just after their engagement. Perhaps the most ironic thing about the film is that Cash wrote the song,"I Walk The Line," because he missed his first wife, Vivian, shortly after they wed and he was on the road. Consider that in the film that Carter doesn't want to sing "Time's A Wastin'" on stage with Cash because it was a hit duet with former husband, Carl Smith, and she didn't think it appropriate. "Ring of Fire" may have been a more apt title for the picture.

Article Written & Submitted by Michelle Durham