I saw the Johnny Cash movie tonight.

I saw "Walk the Line" tonight. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as musician Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as musician June Carter. There was a big audience tonight, even though the movie has been out since November 18th.

There was only a bit of politics in the movie.

When Johnny Cash wants to record a live album at Folsom Prison, there is this dialogue (paraphrase):

Record Executive: Your fans are good Christians. They don't want to hear you entertain murderers and rapists.

Johnny Cash: Then they're not Christians.

During that concert, Cash tells the audience that he respects them for being able to endure the yellow drinking water at Folsom Prison.

The movie goes through 1968.

I was expecting more politics, but some of the political events I was expecting occurred later than 1968.

The following isn't in the movie. (They could put it in a sequel, if they make one.)

In 1969, Johnny Cash gave a concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and expressed opposition to the Vietnam War. He sang "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream." Cash's version of the song by Ed McCurdy goes, "Last night I had the strangest dream, I've ever known before. I dreamed that all the world agreed, to put an end to war."

In 1971, Johnny Cash recorded "Man in Black" which expresses sympathy for the poor and for prisoners serving excessively long sentences.

Hot damn! Go, Johnny go go!

Sometimes the truth hurts eh? Sounds like a good film. I'll probably buy the DVD. Plus, I'm such a fan of Reese Witherspoon.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

;)

I did read it was supposed to be about Johnny Cash and June Carter, their love story. And while he didn't esouse a political affiliation, he does seem to be a small "d" democrat, a man of the people.

With Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, I liked her acting but the singing style (which may have been realistic) wasn't to my taste.

The movie left certain questions. Like it said very little about June Carter's two husbands before Johnny Cash, beyond mentioning them.

Maybe the director thought the audience didn't need to know why those marriages ended in divorce, but I was curious.

Anyway, I'd recommend seeing the movie.

:)

Johnny was supposed to go onstage with the 1988 Zappa Band, but he got sick. The Zappa version of "Ring of Fire" is on one of the six "Best Band You Never Heard in Your life" CD's, made up mostly of material from the brilliant 1988 tour.

I saw about 8 of the shows all on the east coast.

At the time, 60 Minutes was covering Zappa for a feature they never ran.

Sting did make it on stage during that tour and Zappa always called him "Mr. Sting". He performed Murder by Numbers with the group.

-85% Jimmy

I don't know what happened with the second one. She was said to be totally devastated when Carl left her. His career flopped after that.

He walked the walk. I have nothing but respect for him. I love "The ballad of Ira Hays(sp)"