Walk the Line
Short description
Walk the Line follows John R. Cash from his childhood on an Arkansas cotton farm through his years in the Air Force in Germany and his early marriage, to his breakthrough as a recording artist in Memphis. There he works with producer Sam Phillips and crosses paths with fellow Sun Records performers such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, while his feelings for the singer June Carter, herself married, become a lasting presence in his life. Success brings heavy touring, growing dependence on pills and the collapse of his first marriage, leaving him struggling to hold his career and himself together.
James Mangold directed and co-wrote the film, the sixth of the thirteen features he has directed to date, coming between Identity and 3:10 to Yuma. Joaquin Phoenix plays Cash and Reese Witherspoon plays Carter, with Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick and Dallas Roberts among the supporting cast; ninety actors and sixty-four crew members are credited.
Made for about 28 million dollars, the film took roughly 186 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from around 280,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 7.5 from far fewer ratings; critics gave it 7.5 from 208 reviews, in line with the audience response.
What's left behind the scenes
- Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon performed their vocal parts themselves, without the help of professional singers. Moreover, during filming, Joaquin learned to play the guitar.
- Johnny Cash and June Carter themselves chose the actors who were to portray them on screen. Shortly before filming began, June passed away, so it was much more difficult for Reese Witherspoon to work on the film.
- It took about four years for the story's author, James Keach (a long-time friend of Johnny Cash and his family), to agree to sell the rights. Another four years were required to create the film itself.
- The full version of the film has a runtime of 153 minutes.
- Reese Witherspoon is younger than Joaquin Phoenix, while in reality, June was older than Johnny.
- In the film, Joaquin Phoenix appears in 56 different costumes. The costume designer meticulously studied the archives of the Cash family and collections of the singer’s fans to recreate his real costumes.
- Johnny Cash actually proposed to June Carter on stage, which happened in February 1968 during a concert at a hockey arena in Ontario. They married a week later.
- June comes to a rehearsal with Johnny and his band. They argue, and she starts throwing empty bottles at them. In a wide shot, she grabs a bottle that is next to her and throws it; in the next frame, she throws the same bottle and grabs another one.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
