Crossing the line

While every other soul on earth is losing their cookies over James Mangold’s Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line, Cash’s daughter from his first marriage is slightly less enthused about the film’s release.

Kathy Cash is the man in black’s daughter from his 13-year marriage to first wife Vivian Liberto Distin and feels her family have been unfairly portrayed in the flick.

“My mom was basically a nonentity in the entire film except for the mad little psycho who hated his career,” she commented. “That’s not true. She loved his career and was proud of him until he started taking drugs and stopped coming home.”

John Carter Cash, who is the only child from Cash’s second, 35-year marriage to June Carter replies, “Kathy grew up in a household I was never in. I’m compassionately understanding but the point of the film is my parents’ love affair. That’s the lasting light that lived through their lives. The most important thing for my parents on this Earth was their love for each other.”

Carter Cash was an executive producer on the movie, which stars Joaquin Phoenix in the lead and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash. “I respect the film for what it is, and I love it for what it is,” he continues. “There are great holes. And there are solid fans who’ll say, what about this and what about that? Look for one thing: look for their love. Look where their love lasted. That’s the message.”

Kathy admits to enjoying the powerhouse performances from the two leads but remains cynical about the movie’s content: “Anyone who wants a good sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll movie is gonna love it,” she said. “I’m anticipating dyed-in-the-wool fans objecting to a lot of stuff.”

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