Posted on 11/10/2005 3:19:32 PM PST by Liberty Valance
NASHVILLE, Tenn.
Kathy Cash, one of Johnny Cash's five children, was so upset about how her mother is portrayed in the upcoming movie "Walk the Line" that she walked out of a family-only screening _ five times.
She thinks the movie, which opens nationwide Nov. 18, is good and that performances by Joaquin Phoenix as her dad and Reese Witherspoon as her stepmother, June Carter Cash, are Oscar-worthy.
But she also said the film unfairly shows her mother, Vivian Liberto Distin, Johnny Cash's first wife, as a shrew. Actress Ginnifer Goodwin plays her in the movie.
"My mom was basically a nonentity in the entire film except for the mad little psycho who hated his career. That's not true. She loved his career and was proud of him until he started taking drugs and stopped coming home," Kathy Cash said.
Vivian Liberto Distin died earlier this year as a result of complications from lung cancer. She and Cash were married 13 years and had four children together. He pledged to remain faithful to her in his song "I Walk the Line."
Kathy Cash also said the movie fails to include any meaningful scenes with the children or show the pain she and her three sisters endured during their father's fight with drugs and their parents' divorce. She says it portrays Johnny Cash's father too negatively.
"Anyone who wants a good sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll movie is gonna love it," she said. "I'm anticipating dyed-in-the-wool fans objecting to a lot of stuff."
Nope, that was a child speaking, not the ex-wife. This is a child's point of view of her parent.
Hollyweird does this. They take great liberties with actualities to further their stories for dramatic purposes and sympathetic portrayal.
Make the first wife look bad makes Cash more sympathetic.
By the way, who plays Maybelle Carter? Anyone play Ezra or AP -- are they in the movie?
Correct. When true life doesn't make for a good story, they make things up. And the audience considers it "true history."
His daughter has every right to complain and I'm glad I read this. Taking liberties with the lives of GOOD people make me sick.
I don't care for "Cliff's Notes" portayals of someone's life. Why don't they focus on the story of one period in his life? Two marriages and ups and downs of his career are many episodes in his life.
If a bio-pic is really successful, they blow the shot at doing a "sequel" by cramming everything in one film.
And I don't need to see them start out when the lead is "five" either. That goes the same for when I read an autobiography.
From what I've read and heard, Johnny really screwed over his first wife almost from the word go. His tune "I Walk the Line" is a total joke in that regard. Although I was surprised to find that Carter, not Cash, wrote "Ring of Fire" and she was talking about literal hellfire.
You are correct.
I don't know about that. I did see Johnny and June live in 68 in Albuquerque. Amazing American music.
One of my all time JC favorites recorded in 58.
This movie is all that's on the local news here in Memphis since it was filmed here.
I somehow neglected to include the link to the original story. Sorry about that. :o)
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/10/D8DPRS580.html
Interesting. Johnny Cash was an amazing talent who had some great triumphs as well as some huge messes in his life. Iirc, his memoirs portrayed his first wife as a good woman who deserved better than the way he treated her. I'm sorry the film can't be equally honest.
Reese Witherspoon as June Carter? I just don't see it!
In interviews I've read, JC was pretty sympathetic towards his first wife and acknowledged his bad behavior during their marriage. Most people who achieve superstar status succumb to temptation of one form or a few. One of the things that make JC great is that he got back on track when so many others haven't been able to.
Ring of Fire was written about being torn between his first wife and Ms. Carter.
Actually, Johnny Cash was a saint in marriage compared to some of his contemporaries; Merle Haggard has had five wives, George Jones has had four, I don't know how many Willy Nelson has, but it's been a few.
Click on my homepage to see a cool photo of Johnny Cash with Elvis.
Yeah - the original recording of "Ring of Fire" was by Anita Carter, June's sister. Cash, in a drug-induced sleep, "heard" the tune being performed by the Tijuana Brass and decided to drag the trumpets into the studio.
Guess Things Happen That Way
By J. Clement
Recorded by Johnny Cash on 4/9/58
Number one - Country Chart; Number eleven - Pop Chart
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