Movie Review:
Walk the Line

Production Company: Twentieth Century Fox
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Patrick, Ginnifer Goodwin, Shelby Lynne, Hailey Anne Nelson
Rating: PG-13 for language and some drug use

By Gregg Tubbs

As the Oscar race heats up, expect to hear the names Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon a lot, because they literally light up the screen in Walk the Line, bringing to vibrant life Johnny Cash and his great love, June Carter. Walk the Line tells the exhilarating and sometimes harrowing tale of the early years of “The Man in Black,” from rockabilly rebel to country music icon. But at its heart it’s an old-fashioned story of redemption—a haunted wayward man saved by the love of a good woman and his rediscovered faith.

Neither Cash’s (JOAQUIN PHOENIX) face nor his voice was pretty, but both were as real as the heartaches, tough times and deep faith that echoed the lives of his legions of fans. © 2005 Twentieth Century Fox.

Cash’s legend was built on a face and a voice of pure authenticity. Neither his face nor his voice was pretty, but both were as real as the heartaches, tough times and deep faith that echoed the lives of his legions of fans. Walk the Line shows us how Cash earned that authenticity. Raised on a poor Arkansas cotton farm, Johnny and his older brother Jack worked long days in the fields, driven hard by their father, then a mean drunk and later an equally mean teetotaler. Life was hard for the Cash boys, but they each found refuge in their own way—Jack in the Bible and Johnny in old time hymns.

In a revealing, early scene, young Johnny asks his brother, “Jack, how come you’re so good?” This is more a statement of admiration than of envy. Johnny senses in himself a certain wildness that his obedient brother lacks. Their relationship is crucial and defines Cash’s essential nature—a good man who tended to stray without a strong hand to keep him on the right path. Tragically, Jack is killed in a sawmill accident while Johnny is off fishing. Johnny is devastated by the loss and crushed by his father’s biting assertion that, “You’re nothing! God took the wrong son.” Guilt and self-doubt haunt Cash from this point on. He abandons his faith and finally escapes his family by joining the Air Force and shipping off to Germany.

Meaningless jobs and a possibly rash marriage follow his return to the states. Although his faith has ebbed, the gospel music of his youth still inspires him. He launches into a dizzying music career and meets June Carter, the youngest of country music’s legendary Carter Family. Fatefully thrust together on the same rockabilly tour with young legends like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, Cash and Carter (both married at the time) struggle with a shared attraction that can’t be consummated. 

Walk the Line is a kind of companion piece to last year’s Ray Charles biopic, Ray. Each follows a brilliant, tortured artist from poverty, to fame, through infidelity and drug abuse, and finally to recovery and renewal. But while Ray shows a man who kicks drugs and silences his demons through sheer force of will, Walk the Line is about a man redeemed by love and faith. June Carter was Johnny’s anchor and guide through the depths of addiction and self-destruction. It was her love and faith—and that of the rest of the devout Carter family—that brought Johnny back from the brink.

In a critical scene, Cash (JOAQUIN PHOENIX) is about to perform at Folsom Prison, but his managers warn, "Your fans are church folk. They don't want to hear you singing to a bunch of prisoners." Cash replies, "Then they aren't Christians."  © 2005 Twentieth Century Fox.

In one crucial scene, Johnny has gone cold turkey, with June at his bedside. “God has given you a second chance,” she explains, and this time, Johnny finally lets go and simply accepts it. He opens up to her about his feelings of unworthiness, his belief that his brother would have done so much good, while he has caused nothing but pain. She stands by him, comforts him, and later takes him to church—his first time in years. The road back that led to 35 years of sobriety, and finally marriage to June, began with the simple act of accepting that although he was not “worthy,” he could still be forgiven by the gift of grace. Walk the Line is an inspiring story about a man of faith who had literally been through hell, and about the second chances made possible through the power of what his old hymnal would have called “Amazing Grace.”

Gregg Tubbs is a freelance writer living in Columbia, Md.

This review was developed by UMC.org, the official online ministry of The United Methodist Church.
 
Study Questions

• Do you feel Johnny had any responsibility for his brother’s death? Was his father right to blame him?
• Record producer Sam Philips says he doesn’t “believe him” when Johnny sings a gospel song. Why? What does this scene tell us about the condition of Cash’s faith at this time?
• There's a running joke in the film that Johnny looks like he's going to a funeral. He always replies, "Maybe I am." Why do you think he says that? Is it because of Jack? Have you ever felt like that yourself?
• Was the woman in the store right to accost June about her divorce? Do you understand why she did? Do you believe divorce is a sin? Why or why not?
• Why do you think Johnny turned to drugs and alcohol? Do you know anyone who has recovered from substance dependence? Did faith play a role?
• Johnny Cash’s life and music seemed to reflect both the light and dark sides of the human soul. Do you believe we all have both good and bad in us?
• Why was his father’s approval so important to Cash? Was this a destructive impulse? What affect did his father have on his self-esteem? Is there anyone you struggle to please?
• June resisted Johnny’s marriage proposals for many years. Why do you think she did? Did she not love him, or did she not trust him?
• What do you think was the turning point for Cash that enabled him to regain control of his life? Could you see God working through June?
• Walk the Line is a story of redemption. What role did God’s grace play in saving Johnny Cash? Have you seen grace at work in your life? How?

  Group Activities:

The Power of Music: Music of faith was a driving force in Johnny Cash’s life. When he was young, he memorized all the songs in his “Heavenly Highway Hymnal.” For this activity, explore music’s unique power to speak to our souls. If you can, ask the members of your group to bring a tape or CD of the song that means the most to them. Ask each one to play a portion of the song and explain why it means so much to her or him. Did the person first hear it at a special time in her or his life? Do the words have special meaning? Does the song remind him or her of someone special? Finally, select a favorite hymn (or several!) to discuss and sing together.

Walk the Line: According to the film, Cash’s song “Walk the Line” was inspired by June Carter’s criticism that he was so drunk he couldn’t walk a straight line. Cash needed some help walking the “straight and narrow.” Have your group try it themselves. For this activity, you need a blindfold (scarf, handkerchief, etc.) and some masking tape. Use the tape to mark a straight line on the floor, as long as you can make it. Ask for volunteers to try to walk the tape line while blindfolded. Start them headed in the right direction, but give them no guidance once they start—except for safety. After they’ve walked a bit, uncover their eyes and show them where they ended up without help. Next, try it again, with the same volunteers or others, but this time, give them a little help. For each volunteer, select a helper to stand at the other end of the line. Have the walker begin walking, while the helper guides her or him with directions and the sound of the helper’s voice as a direction locator. Did the walkers do better with someone to guide them? When you’re done, discuss the difference between “going it alone” and having help from others. Can you relate this to the faith journey? How important was June as a helper to Johnny? How important is fellowship to a group of believers?

Analyze the Scene: In a critical scene, Cash is about to perform at Folsom Prison, but his managers believe it will hurt his image. They warn, "Your fans are church folk. They don't want to hear you singing to a bunch of prisoners." Cash replies, "Then they aren't Christians." As a group, discuss this scene. Was Cash reflecting the teachings of Jesus? Would Jesus have visited and comforted prisoners? Read Isaiah 61:1-3, Luke 4:14-30, Matthew 25:31-46. Why did Cash appeal so much to prisoners? Did they understand each other? Why do you think Jesus spent so much time with sinners? (See Matthew 9:12.)

Resources
Official Walk the Line Web site

Theatrical Trailer
QuickTime