Hollywood heaped as many accolades on 2005’s “Walk the Line” as possible.
The film, the biopic of music legend Johnny Cash, earned five Oscar nominations including a Best Actress win for Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash.
Joaquin Phoenix, playing the Man in Black, earned just as many kudos and sang Johnny Cash’s songs himself.
One aspect of the film bothered some fans. They decried the movie for short-changing a critical element of Cash’s life. The singer’s faith deserved a Hollywood close-up, too.
Nearly a quarter of the songs [Cash] wrote were in some way about his faith or the Bible, and many others were influenced by his Christian worldview.
But there wasn’t a single Gospel song on the Walk the Line soundtrack. Somehow, the screenwriters left out that important dimension of his musical catalogue. And there wasn’t a single mention of the greatest love of Cash’s life: Jesus Christ.
That changes come December.
Fathom Events, Kingdom Story Company, WTA Media, and Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie have partnered to release “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon.”
The documentary debuts December 5, 6 and 7 via Fathom Events. The film’s creative team wants to restore the faith journey to Cash’s legacy.
”Johnny Cash is an American icon who undoubtedly shaped the musical landscape. Behind the fame is the true story of a man who was haunted by his own inner demons, and through facing them, ultimately found an unshakable faith in God,” said producer Jon Erwin of “I Can Only Imagine” fame said in a press statement.
The film arrives with a potent endorsement – from the only child of Cash and June Carter Cash.
“I think of all the documentaries made about my dad, he’d be most excited about this one,” John Carter Cash said in a statement about the film.
The documentary taps more than 100 tapes, originally made for Cash’s autobiography, that haven’t been heard publicly before.
The film features a crush of important voices, including John Carter Cash, Sheryl Crow, Tim McGraw, Marty Stuart, Wynonna Judd, Jimmie Allen, Alice Cooper, Franklin Graham and Joanne Cash Yates.
Here’s more on “Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon” from Fathom Events:
Recounting a critical period in Cash’s life and career, the documentary takes place during the time of his most famous album “Man In Black” while the legend was stuck in a cycle of depression and drug addiction. The road to redemption for the iconic country star and his return to an “unshakeable faith” that would influence some of his most famous songs like “The Man Comes Around,” are at the core focus of the film.
Laurie, who previously gave us the faith-based 2017 documentary “Steve McQueen: American Icon,” nailed a key contradiction to the music legend.
“Who could be friends with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Billy Graham all at the same time? The answer, Johnny Cash,” said producer Laurie of Harvest Ministries in a statement. “He was a contradiction at times, but he had a deep faith that he always returned to.”
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