just watched the movie this afternoon and found it really worth watching. The love story is wondeful and the movie is terrific with beautiful songs.
I've heard the movie got Academy award and other awards before, but I was not a big fan of this. I never watched Broken back mountain. I picked the movie because of Reese Witherspoon. She is a good comedian. The Legally Blonde where she acts as a female legal student is super funny. She is an intelligent and humourous woman in real life. I watched several interviews with her. So, to have a rest, I picked it as a comedy. But it turns out to be a romantic drama.
The movie is about a legendary country music and rock singer Johnny Cash.( haha, forgive me that I never heard about him before this movie). He had a elder brother Jack. They were close to each other and used to listen to songs from radio. They had a very rude father who did not support their hobby. They lived in a town in Arkansas. Jack incidently died on a saw table while Johnny was out for fishing. His father blamed him for the death. so, he was very guilty.
When he grew up, he joined the air force and went to Europe. But he loved his girl friend Vivian and promised her that he would marry her and provided her things she deserved (the nice house and live in Memphis) and would love her forever. Finally he got back and married Vivian, but he had a hard time in making money. While he played music with his band, Vivian was so sad since they had to find money to pay the rent. She was losing her confidence with him. She said, "your band is two mechanic men who can hardly play". He ran into a music broker who gave him an audition. At the beginning, he and his band played a Gospel. The broker said no since it's an old song. He said, " if you were hit by a car and have time time to sing one song only, is this song you are going to play? is this song you are going to let people remember you?". Then, Johnny sang a song he wrote while in air force. His deep, distinctive voice, the boom-chick-a-boom or "freight train" sound got a record. http://www.amazon.com/At-Folsom-Prison-Johnny-Cash/dp/B000028U0Y
He quickly rose to be a star and started his tour show. In one show, he saw June Carter. It's funny that June's skirt was entangled by his guitar while she was called to go on stage. She ran to the stage but told the audience that she could n't sing because she had laryngitis. hehe. very funny :) Then, she told him that he had a special voice and he told her that he started to love her song in childhood. They liked each other but June was rational because she was aware that he had a wife and children. June asked him to walk the line though she was just abandoned by her husband. Actually the title of the movie is from a song by Johnny "I walk the line". The song is about Johnny staying faithful to his wife at the time, Vivian while on the road: I find it very, very easy to be true/I find myself alone when each day is through/Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you/Because you're mine/I walk the line.(from wikipedia).
However, his wife did not trust him. They had a quarrel at home. She wanted him to have more time staying with her. " I want you!". ( hehe, this is a dillema. when the man was poor, she wanted him to make money. But when he was in his way in making money, she wanted him ). But he was busy with the tour. Being not trusted by his wife is painful. June understood him so much and appreciated his talent and was his good companion in the tour. But she still kept the line. June and Vivian met. June tried to be nice with Vivian but Vivian asked her to stay away from her children. Johnny managed to pursuade June for another tour. They finally slept together one night. In the morning, there is a very funny short episode on the bed ( sorry don't blame me. I only remember the romantic and funny stuff). But then her phone rang, her children was sick, so she needed to go back home. He was so sad that he took too much drug and fell unconsciously on the stage. Later, he found that June flushed away his drugs. Then, he went to the border to buy drugs and got caught by the police and was put in the jail. When he came back, his wife was cold with him and aruged with him. The next morning, he hang the picture s of June, Vivian fighted with him and left.
Then, he tried to call June and June did not answer. He finally walked from Nasheville to her home. But then she told him that she did not like him to be this. She said, "where is my friend John? did he get high? is he incognito? is he gone? Cause I don't like this guy, Cash". When he went back, he found a beautiful house overlooking a lake. So, he bought the house, but he was still on drug. He invited his parents and June's family to the house for thanksgiving. In the dinner, his father found him taking drug and so laughed at him. He was irritated and argued with his father about the death of Jack and accused his father was drunk on that day. Then, the air was ruined and people left. He started to work on the tractor trapped in the mud and drove it into the lake. June ran to him and her family decided to stay and helped him to get rid of the addiciton. They saved him. When he recovered, he read the mails from his fans. Some of them are from the jail. Then he decided to hold a concert in the jail. It then produced one of the best live country and rock music, At Folsom Prison http://www.amazon.com/At-Folsom-Prison-Johnny-Cash/dp/B000028U0Y.
During the tour, he kept asking June to marry her but she rejected. She thought it's not the right time. There is an interesting scene in the tour caravan. He woke her up at 2:00am and asked her again, then she told him two rules, rule number one, don't propose to a girl on a bus, rule number two, don't tell her it's because you had a bad dream. Hehe, very funny. If you watched Scarface, you know the two rules ^_^. Then, John threatened, "this is the last time I am asking". And June answered, " well, good, I hate rerun ". haha.
Finally, on the stage, John asked June to sing a song "Jackson" together. In the middle, he stopped and asked her to marry him. He threatened he would not sing unless she agreed to marry him. 嗬嗬, 灰常流氓。She said that you got all those people revved up. John said, You got me revved up. I've asked you forty different ways, so it's time you come up with fresh answer. :) But here is what he said that finally got her heart.
"
I'm asking you to marry me.
I love you, June.
Now I know I said and done a lot of things...that I hurt you, but I promise
I'll never do that again.
I only want to take care of you.
I will not leave you like that Dutch boy with your finger in the dam.
You're my best friend.
"
June," all right"
The album At Folsom Prison was a big hit in 1968 and even better than the Beattles in the year. John and June married in the same year. They had a son two years later. They lived together for 35 years and perfomed around the world. June passed away in May 2003, four month later, John followed her. What a love story!
I walk the line
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line
I find it very, very easy to be true
I find myself alone when each day is through
Yes, I'll admit that I'm a fool for you
Because you're mine, I walk the line
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've known proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I walk the line
You've got a way to keep me on your side
You give me cause for love that I can't hide
For you I know I'd even try to turn the tide
Because you're mine, I walk the line
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I walk the line
this is a recent record. it seems better.
A very beautiful tribute,unfortunately can't embed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3UharxdRo8
Another tribute of Johnny and June " Love's been good to me"
Love's Been Good To Me
(Rod McKuen)
I have been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I'm happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love's been good to me
There was a girl in
Before the summer storm
Oh, her eyes were tender
Oh, her arms were warm
And she could smile away the thunder
Kiss away the rain
Even though she's gone away
You won't hear me complain
I have been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I'm happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love's been good to me
There was a girl in
Before the winter chill
We used to go a-courtin'
Along October hill
And she could laugh away the dark clouds
Cry away the snow
It seems like only yesterday
As down the road I go
I've been a rover
I have walked alone
Hiked a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still in all I'm happy
The reason is, you see
Once in a while along the way
Love's been good to me
Yeah, I've been listening to their music all this week :)