Always ‘Press On’ with June Carter Cash
Paramount+ adds to its catalogue of music-related documentaries this week with the documentary film, June. It’s the biopic of country music royalty, June Carter Cash. We know the story of her husband, Johnny Cash. It’s a story that’s been hashed over and over again over the years. But June has never gotten her due with her true story. Her upbringing as a member of the Carter family, her life in the spotlight, and the respect she deserves as a songwriter.
If you have never seen the 2005 film Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as the musical couple, you may not know this, but June Carter Cash wrote the memorable song Ring of Fire, sung by her husband Johnny Cash. It’s arguably one of the most well-known country songs around the globe.
The song was about her feelings of being in love with Cash all the while she was in her second marriage which was currently crumbling, and Cash was in his as well. The pair had been on the road for some time now and bonded in the shared lifestyle they had. June most famously helped Johnny kick his bad habit of drugs and hard living.
As beautiful as that story is, the singer-songwriter is more than just a country legend’s wife. She has been performing since she was a child, as the family she originates from is one of the most well-known and respected batches of performers the genre has ever seen. Carter’s life pre-Johnny takes up a good chunk of the first half of the film.
She had two failed marriages prior to meeting Cash. Yet even through those times of strife, she would end up moving to New York City to take up acting, while flying back to Nashville to perform on the Gand Ol’Opry on weekends, and then being back in New York for the week.
June never seemed like she missed a step; she always seemed to ‘press on’ no matter the circumstance. Hence, one of her last albums was in fact titled “Press on.” The documentary utilizes footage of her recording of the album as a backdrop to her catching a late-in-life creative wind. The album would receive critical praise and awards upon its release.
The documentary clearly accomplishes its mission by saying that June Carter Cash was not just Johnny Cash’s wife. She was way more than that. Her absence has left a gaping hole in country music since her death two decades ago. A death that left many knowing that eventually, John would follow soon after, as he did four months later.
Carter’s life seems to have been a life well lived, even though it shows you that even though she was known to stay on the sunny side of life, she had her own battles. Her marriage to Cash is trying not to be the main focus of the movie, but it still kind of is. So, therefore, it’s good to show you that there were times when it wasn’t. Cash would relapse again a decade into their marriage, and they could have fallen apart.
June, the documentary, is a nice portrayal of an icon that we don’t hear too much about because there was a larger figure in the way of her story. June paces along smoothly, but if you’re a country music fan, there isn’t much new in the film in terms of information. Just a nice spotlight on someone who deserves way more praise than she ever got.
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Verdict - 7/10
7/10