Sergio's Fall Movie Countdown--#4

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In a continuing series, Sergio reveals the ten films he is most looking forward to this fall.

4. Walk the Line
directed by James Mangold
opens 11/18

Johnny Cash is a true legend in music. Like Elvis Presley, Cash made his first recordings at Sun Records in Nashville, Tennessee. And like the King, there was something different about the Man in Black. His voice is spare, his lyrics often simple. But they created indelible images of men and women and their Biblical-like struggles with love, hate and death.

Like all legendary figures, Johnny Cash was a person of extremes and full of contradictions. He was a deeply religious man who got into brawls, drank too much and was a drug addict. He was lucky enough to meet the woman of his dreams but to his misfortune he was already married with kids. He gave renowned concerts in maximum Federal prisons like Folsom and San Quentin. Perhaps part of him knew there was very little difference between his demons and those of the prisoners who cheered him. By performing for men the rest of scoiety wanted no part of, he acknowledged this. He was both a fighter and a poet.

I came to Johnny Cash at the end of his career. His cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt" profoundly moved me. The video, directed by Mark Romanek, is the most haunting I've ever seen. It focusses on Cash's old age and contrasts it with images from throughout his dynamic career. From there I bought all the "American Recordings" albums produced by Rick Rubin. Cash and Rubin were an unlikely pair. At the time, Cash was seen as a has-been and Rubin, co-founder of DefJam Records, was known mostly for his work in hip hop and heavy metal. Together they created albums that are spare masterpieces. From there I travelled back in time to the prime of Cash's career and fell in love all over again. I'm not normally a country music fan, but Cash seemed different. Sure, he played country songs. But they had a different energy than I expected. I still remember when the "Hurt" video was nominated for a passel of MTV awards in 2003, they ran a piece where artists from every genre testified to his greatness. It's one thing for Sheryl Crow to appreciate him, it's another to hear it coming from from Pharrell and Snoop Dog. (Snoop called him the original "gansta" or something like that.) I was struck by how musicians listen to and enjoy all different kinds of music, not just the kind they create themselves.

Which brings us to the movie itself. Luckily, Walk the Line is a known quantity. It has already played at festivals and been praised by critics. Joaquin Phoenix nails Cash's artistry and his volatility. Reese Witherspoon plays June Carter Cash, the love of his life, and makes it clear why he went to all the trouble. The movie covers all four corners of Cash's career (his childhood, his music, his addicitons, and his love life), but the main storyline is his decade-long pursuit of June's heart.

The buzz is strong for Walk the Line. Phoenix and Witherspoon are said the be locks for Oscar nominations. There are many who are comparing it to last year's Ray, for obvious reasons. I liked that movie and admired Jamie Foxx's performance but I think Walk the Line will be better. Ray's overlength dampened its power. I don't think Line will make the same mistake. If they're smart, the filmmakers will follow the model of one of Cash's songs and keep is simple and to the point. Exactly the way the Man in Black would have wanted it.

NEXT: Two Pulitzer Prize-winning authors give new meaning to the word "cowpoke."