The Johnny Cash biopic isn’t out ’til November, but Joaquin Phoenix is already garnering Oscar buzz for his portrayal of the Man in Black. He learned to play the guitar for the role and performed all of the songs himself without being dubbed. Reese Witherspoon costars as June Carter and other people cameo as Elvis Presley, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison.
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Did they film this inbetween rehab jaunts?
Okay okay, I like Joaquin too.
I like me some Cash. This looks good and if that’s him singing in the trailer he’s done one hell of a job — bodes well.
Sounds good to me. I remember seeing Joaquin on a late night show last year and the host asked him about this movie he was starting to film. He didn’t seem very interested in it or Cash. That had me worried, but this trailer looks good.
Two of my good friends, brother and sister, were the stand ins for Joaquin and Reese during the filming of the movie, so I was able to be privvy to most of the story through them. Sounds really promising. Most definately will steam roll during Oscar season. Oh, and my ex is in the trailer for a few frames. Rad.
Let’s hope that the *film* itself is good–better than last year’s recently deceased musical legend bio-pic featuring a stellar lead performance. Phoenix looks and sounds amazing, though.
I walk the line between good and evil…
Any Thrill Kill Kult fans here?
Man, I had high hopes for this. Looks like a TV movie though. Hopefully will be better than the preview lets on.
From the trailer, it seems to have very little to do with the man’s actual life. Just more Hollywood bullshit.
Oh, and Johnny Cash never did any time in prison. Seems pretty ridiculous to center the whole trailer around that.
Oh, and he sounds like he listened to the Social Distortion version a little more than johnny Cash’s actual songs.
Ok, I’m getting mad…
That is very cool he learned to play for the role. And reese learned how to be a brunette.
yeah … i’m not sure what’s up with those prison scenes, unless they’re showing him doing one of his prison concerts. anyway, sarah vowell did a really entertaining piece about johnny cash on this american life a few years back. here’s the link. the 10 minute piece is at the end of the episode. http://www.thislife.org/pages/descriptions/03/247.html
seems like they’re trying to pivot his whole career on Walk the Line, and with his “Live at Folsom Prison” record, which is fine. I’d rather they focus on a short piece of his story than try and tell the whole thing in one movie. But I HATE it when they have those cheezy monologues from music bio pics that you know never took place… like this guy who’s supposed to be Sam Phillips or whatever telling him to that he needs to write one great song. blah blah blah. Dramatic bullshit.
Is it me or does Reese looking smokin’ hot in this movie? Damn.
To poster dirt, I dig TKK a lot. Good song, that. I think Alien Sex Fiend performed a superb cover of that track.
This movie looks like it will own. I loved Joaquin in “Clay Pigeons”. He nailed that dumb hick thing.
JT – who gives a sh*t wether or not your ex or anyone else was an extra or stand in in this or any other movie. Get a life.
Hmmm…calling Johnny Cash a dumb hick?
Anyhoo…anyone know who’s directing? Please not Taylor Hackford…
Looks like James Mangold (Cop Land, Girl Interrupted) is at the helm.
did they use makeup to cover joaqin’s hairlip for the movie as cash?
Also, the director is the genius/auteur behind such mediocre films as “Girl, Interrupted” and “Identity” and also the quite disappointing “Copland”.
But he did make “Kate and Leopold”, so at least he has that experience under his belt.
I expect nothing from this movie, especially after that trailer.
Also, learning to play guitar for a movie isn’t a great feat. He’s an actor. He has all day everyday to learn, for the amount of money he’s making I hope he takes the time to learn how to play a damn guitar if he portraying Johnny Cash in a film.
It seems to me that one of the problems, if not the largest, with this film is that Joaquin Phoenix is playing Johnny Cash. Cash was a large, lumpy man who grew up in the south, picking beans and fixing cars. I can still smell the oil grease coming off of him. To have an actor with matinee idol looks portray him in the movie is not the ultimate whitewash but it certainly doesn’t help the veracity of the project. Ultimately, though, can there ever really be a successful biopic? It seems like no matter who tackles these projects, they are too often just doomed to fail – being, as they are, a man’s (or woman’s) life confined to two hours and so forth.
“Can there ever really be a successful biopic?”
What about RAY? This is like that except white and not blind.
I dont see what most people are complaining about, that movie looks fucking great. And ‘Cash never did time in prison’…haha wtf. Well shit no, but he recorded a whole cd of songs at one once and that was just two moments of the movie they showed, which, btw, would be the POINT of a trailer, asshat. To show ‘snippets’ of the movie. Not the whole dang thing.
as for the pheonix being to ‘pretty’ for the role, name the last movie that did well at the box office and was seen by tons of people that had a fat actor as its MAIN character. [And fuckin' 'supersize me' does NOT count]
It’s okay I’ll give you a minute.
Still can’t think of one?
oh. That’s because it never happens. haha.
Does it count if the fat man is Santa Claus?
Otherwise… does The Dude count as fat?
Since when does Joaquin Phoenix have “matinee idol” looks? His brother, maybe.
“Ray” was NOT a successful biopic. Most including, yes, the Academy Awards (gasp!) were blinded by a great performance to an, at best, mediocre film. Other bad biopics built around good lead roles:
A Beautiful Mind
Blow
Hurricane
Hey, callyouonit: You’re big enough to “call me on it,” but you’re not going to write a simple obscenity? Christ, man. At least contribute something to the comments. Fuck you sideways, chief.
This movie will really score with me if there are some shots of Reese’s cans. It has been far too long since they have been on display in a film.
Hey Loveanddeath, does the dude from Sideways count as fat? What about my Big Fat Greek Wedding?
hmmm…there must be more. Was Orson Welles fat by the time he filmed Citizen Kane? And yes, there’s Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. Hairspray. Finally of course, “Big Poppa, the Life and Times of Biggie Smalls” starring Rueben Studdard. It hasn’t come out yet (or been filmed, or even conceived of), but we all know it’s coming.
Gummer, you think Johnny Cash ever put gas in his bong?
Another good movie/biopic would be the River Phoenix story, might be a good movie for K-fed to get his acting career rolling..any aspiring screen writers out there this could be the big one!
Joaquin is hot, but he doesn’t fall in the “matinee idol looks” department, I agree.
Does anybody know what is wrong with his shoulders? They always distract me when I watch his movies.
rich…’the Dude’ is not fat!! no way! He’s…’husky’…
Santa doesn’t count either.
Albarn wants to make Doherty history…
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/entertainment/79062004.htm
Cash must have seen something in Joaquin to pick him specifically to play him in the film before his death. But in all honesty, who else could do it?
I’m guessing they didn’t bother removing Phoenix’s hairlip. Cash had a scar by his mouth, too, from some minor surgery when he was serving in Germany.
I could be wrong but Phoenix didn’t simply learn to play guitar. He had to do his own singing for a lot of it, too, which is no small feat (it’s Johnny Cash for Christ sakes). His portrayal of Cash is the least of my worries. It’s everyone else around him I’m worried about. Like Jerry Lee Lewis. And I don’t know why no one gets it, but Roy Orbison (his biopic is next, I’m betting) is more than just a chubby guy with sunglasses. Orbison always gets hosed when it comes to film or television portrayals of him.
The opening of the trailer was horrible. I mean personally, if I’d been hit by a truck and had time to sing only one last song — nuts to the song. I’m screaming my bloody head off for some help. That whole bit was terrible. And why do all these bio pic trailers try to trick us into thinking we’re watching ‘Rocky’?
All in all, I have no qualms about Phoenix playing Cash. I’m a little concerned about ‘chin’ playing Carter.
Johnny Cash actually did go to jail about 7 times, although he never served a sentence. They were all one or 2 day things.
“but he recorded a whole cd of songs at one once”
Actually, he recorded several, but I’m sure you knew that. Right?
“and that was just two moments of the movie they showed, which, btw, would be the POINT of a trailer, asshat. To show ‘snippets’ of the movie. Not the whole dang thing.”
The trailer is obviously geared toward perpetuating this idea of JC being a bad-boy, dresed in black, doing time; and that’s just not who he was. The point of this trailer is to mislead.
The worst thing Johnny Cash ever did was get hooked on pills. He was a family man and a decent guy. But that doesn’t sell a movie. So they want to create a fictional version of him, and I find that disgusting.
I’m sick of people trying to make Cash into someone he was not. There’s no need to cloud the truth. He was a great singer and an influential figure. Why try and make him into some kind of comic-book character?
Agreed.
I whole-heartedly agree.
New to the site here.
I will never see this film. I love Johnny Cash’s music. Why would I want to see a fake replacement in a film that cannot do the complexity of the man justice?
Reese Witherspoon as the subject of “Ring of Fire?” No.
See my revierw of The Legend, Disc 1
and here.
Topher: Hahahaha HA!
Biopics always suck. Buy the records, avoid the movies.
when the movie comes out the could show it on reese’s forehead..heh heh heh…yeah i know it was kinda mean…the pms made me say it…
i’ve watched the trailer twice and there is nothing in there suggesting he was imprisoned. they are clearly showing his concert at folsom prison.
i’m a fan of johnny cash and i could take or leave a biopic on him but if you’re going to call it out for something make sure it makes some sense.
The pic’s prison scenes clearly refer to Cash’s now legendary performances at Folsom prison in ’68 and San Quentin in ’69. Personally I think Joaquin Phoenix is a pretty good fit for the role. Let’s face it…somebody was gonna make a movie about it sometime so it might as well be now.
Hey who is the guy that plays Jerry Lee Lewis in the trailer, the scene in the car, with Reese and Jack? Man this guy might be huge. Great cinema looks.
im not sure what the guys name is playing jerry lee but he acted alot like him . i do know that he was sleeved with tattoos they used tons of makeup to cover them up. the guy that plays elvis was pretty good too, his name is tyler hilton. and for all you guys that are talking sh*t about joaquin, he did all the singing and playing the guitar for the movie i think you guys will be very suprised at how good he did.
If you think this looks great, check out the world premiere of Ring Of Fire on September 2, 2005 at Studio Arena Theatre in Buffalo,NY! Also scheduled for Broadway in March 2006.
http://www.studioarena.org
Just wanted to point out that Reese is not here portrayed as the “subject” of “Ring of Fire”… to my knowledge, June actually wrote that song, about Johnny, not vice versa. He was the subject, not her.
I am really looking forward to this movie, I think it is going to be really great. I am really excited to see Tyler Hilton make his major movie debut playing Elvis Presley. He is an amazing musician and actor and I am sure that showed in this movie!!
I am really looking forward to this movie! I’m a huge fan of Tyler Hilton, who is playing Elvis Presley. This is his first movie debut, and for any of you who want to check him out, go to http://www.tylerhilton.com
I think that this movie is going to be awesome!Not just because my two favorite actors, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are in it, but because Joaquin did all of his own singing and he is like the perfect fit, even his facial expressions are to the T. It looks like this cast and crew took sometime and researched their characters! I can’t wait, I’m totally stoked!!
Jonathan Ross is dubbed "risque" by Ofcom but not in breach of rules over an interview with David Cameron…
I thought the movie was good. I thought they all did a great job.