Now, this wasn't my type of movie, but I understood enough about Johnny Cash (the main character of this biography) to know that these weren't very good impersonations of the celebrities, including Joaquin Phoenix's performance of Johnny Cash, Reese Witherspoon's impression of June Carter, and Tyler Hilton's impression of Elvis Presley. All of these actors, although they took on many traits and personalities that these characters possessed (which, if left out, would give this movie a very low score), they didn't look or sound close enough to satisfy me. They weren't bad performances, the acting was actually very moving. Rather, they basically weren't worthy of being named Johnny Cash, June Carter, or Elvis Presley. With that aside, I will say that this movie was very dark and similar to the biography of Ray Charles titled Ray (except for the whole blindness issue). Since this isn't a fictional film, I will explain the entire plot (or at least, most of it). Johnny Cash, born J.R. Cash, has suffered a tough life. As a young boy on his parents' farm, Johnny's older brother and role model, Jack (Lucas Till) was killed while working a table saw in a mill where he was working. In deep despair, Johnny's father, Ray (Robert Patrick), emoted that he wished that Johnny and Jack had swapped places. Later in life, Johnny falls in love with a woman named Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin), and they get married and have children. However, as he learns to play music and is discovered by talent agents, Vivian becomes jealous and angry that Johnny is so far away from home all the time. About the same time, Johnny meets June Carter, and begins a small relationship with her as well. Johnny only makes the situation worse when he becomes addicted to amphetamines and other drugs. As you can see, Johnny Cash is not a likable character (at least in this movie), and the movie is very dark and depressing. It is hard to imagine someone going through all these troubles, and I don't know if anyone would want to see the movie knowing this. I probably wouldn't. If you don't think Johnny Cash's story is going to entertain you (or if it will make you sad), I wouldn't recommend this. If you are a fan of Johnny Cash or can accept that what you are seeing is just a movie, go ahead, I would suggest a rental.
