In the cinematic world of biopics there seems to be three categories:
1) The indulgent, sentimental piece of garbage (remember Patch Adams everybody?)
2) The truly introspective films that transcend the subject's celebrity and show the complex human side, like Basquiat or this year's Capote.
3) The redemption piece, featuring the death of either a brother/sister or mother/father to establish the childhood trauma, followed by a period of drug abuse which the star always triumphantly overcomes.
Fortunately, Walk the Line doesn't fall into the first category. This film contains enough sin and self-demonizing to overcome the temptation to present the subject as some kind of messiah (religious imagery unintended, seriously!). However, the film also does not fit in with category number two either. By the finish, you really don't feel as if you know Johnny Cash much better than you already did. Like last year's Ray, Walk the Line would have to be categorized as one of those redemption stories. All the pieces fit; Brother's death, check; unsympathetic parents, oh yeah; drugs, lots of them. Overcoming through love and faith? You bet your Jesus piece.
While this sounds like trashing, James Mangold's film is actually quite enjoyable throughout, with amazing musical performances and pitch perfect acting. A little slow at the beginning, the film picks up as Cash moves up the ranks in the country music world. Joaquin Phoenix also gradually improves his Cash impersonation, giving an increased amount of confidence and emotion as Cash's career skyrockets.
We all basically know about Johnny Cash so there's no need to go into detail about the plot. Born in 1940s Tennessee, Johnny Cash (real name!) endures the accidental death of his younger brother while he was unattended. Cash's strict, unforgiving father- played by Robert Patrick, who makes T-1000 look like Mr. Rogers by comparison- castigates his oldest son for leaving his brother's side. Of course this sets up Johnny for a lifelong bout of guilt, which he eventually eases with the help of some amphetamines because, in these films, they're always around when you most need them.
Johnny's career gets a boost after meeting Sam Phillips of Sun Records - who also discovered Elvis - which leads to a show co-headlining with June Carter, a lovely and lively entertainer whom Johnny used to listen to on the radio as a kid. Maybe this is the cynic in me, but I had a hard time believing that he actually did hear her when was little. Regardless, Johnny adores June but there's a problem; Johnny is stuck in a loveless marriage with two kids. Quicker than you can figure out the problem, Johnny escapes the marriage and mercilessly hounds June to marry until she finally agrees. The proposal turns out to be a lot more climactic than the time you had a jet pop the question during a Red Sox game but, hey, this is Hollywood.
The main problem that's evident here is that June is portrayed as an absolute angle with no faults. Surely the decision for Johnny to leave his family must have weighed heavily on June. But none of that complexity is shown in the film. The blame lies in the fact that the film was adapted from Johnny Cash's autobiographies The Man in Black and Cash. As the film shows, Johnny was devoted to June enough to kick drugs and leave his family so he was obviously crazy for her. In gathering "facts" from the sole source of Johnny's words presents a bias version of the real story. I'm not trying to tarnish the woman's name; after all she did practically save Johnny's life. However, her character comes across as rather uncomplicated in a life of many complicated circumstances.
That being said, Reese Witherspoon delivers the performance that we all wanted her to after years of trying to find her niche. Her singing is powerful and she looks as if she's having the time of her life during the musical sequences. These are easily the best parts of Walk the Line. Joaquin Phoenix also encompasses the raw energy that sparked Cash's performances. The best is the initial audition for Sam Phillips, when Johnny improvises a tune and premiers his famous posture of holding his guitar out to the side. I would have liked to see more about Cash and Phillips' relationship and how that concluded. In fact, I would have liked to see how Johnny and June's marriage played out other than the played out method of writing on the screen as the film tidies up.
For an average biopic, Walk the Line delivers the energy which Johnny Cash could spew out in a single line. It's all surface work, but with the help of a wonderful cast and some great music, the film manages to at least entertain and provide an introduction to the greatness that was Johnny Cash.
"Walk the Line" opens November 18, 2005 and is rated R. Biopic, Drama, Musical. Directed by James Mangold. Written by Gill Dennis, James Mangold. Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick.
