FBMR - Walk The Line

I’ve never been a huge country music fan. The old country music (Hank Williams, Hank Snow, George Jones, Some of the newer stuff I like, some of it is all right, but most of it I’m not too crazy about. Maybe it’s because I don’t know enough about it, or maybe it’s because I never grew up with it.

For some reason, though, Johnny Cash seems to transcend both the old and the new. He sang about jail, and fighting, and guns, long before rap came onto the scene. He was the original gangster, a country bad boy, a rebel. His music had an edge to it, even when he was singing a love song like “I Walk The Line”. Maybe it’s because he toured and hung out with other musicians of that early rock and roll era (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins). If I didn’t know any better (and maybe I don’t) his song “Get Rhythm” could easily have been a rockin’ Elvis song, let alone Bill Haley or even Buddy Holly.

Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Johnny Cash was spectacular. His singing performance was incredible. The same goes for Reese Witherspoon who plays June Carter, both offer stellar performances.

A lot of people have asked me to compare it to last year’s RAY. I reply, "The music is different, the stories are similar because their lives and the events therein were similar, the singing and acting are equally wonderful. If you liked RAY, regardless of whether you like country music, you’ll like WALK THE LINE." If Phoenix doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Johnny Cash, the Academy is blind.


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WALK THE LINE (2005) **** I’ve never been a huge country music fan. The old country music (Hank Williams, Hank Snow, George Jones, Some of the newer stuff I like, some of it is all right, but most of it I’m not too crazy about. Maybe it’s because I don’t know enough about it, or maybe it’s because I never grew up with it. For some reason, though, Johnny Cash seems to transcend both the old and the new. He sang about jail, and fighting, and guns, long before rap came onto the scene. He was the original gangster, a country bad boy, a rebel. His music had an edge to it, even when he was singing a love song like “I Walk The Line”. Maybe it’s because he toured and hung out with other musicians of that early rock and roll era (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins). If I didn’t know any better (and maybe I don’t) his song “Get Rhythm” could easily have been a rockin’ Elvis song, let alone Bill Haley or even Buddy Holly. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Johnny Cash was spectacular. His singing performance was incredible. The same goes for Reese Witherspoon who plays June Carter, both offer stellar performances. A lot of people have asked me to compare it to last year’s RAY. I reply, "The music is different, the stories are similar because their lives and the events therein were similar, the singing and acting are equally wonderful. If you liked RAY, regardless of whether you like country music, you’ll like WALK THE LINE." If Phoenix doesn’t get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Johnny Cash, the Academy is blind.