Cash biopic behind bars
Fox, Phoenix 'Walk the Line' at Folsom
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Screening will take place Jan. 3, with Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the "Man in Black" in the film, on hand.
The Folsom Prison Fellowship hopes that "Walk the Line" will inspire prisoners, much as Cash's concert did nearly 38 years ago.
On Jan. 13, 1968, Cash took the stage at Folsom for a historic concert that galvanized his audience of hundreds of inmates. Despite strong resistance from his record label, Cash had been moved to perform at Folsom after receiving thousands of letters from prisoners around the country, explaining how his music had put them on the path to rehabilitation and redemption.
"The concert at Folsom was more than just a masterpiece for John, it was also an incredible nexus for a lot of things in his life," "Walk the Line" director James Mangold told Daily Variety. "Only 13 days before the concert, his previous marriage had completely dissolved, he was just kicking drugs, and it was the first time he was really able to look clear-eyed to June Carter as both a husband and father. And as an artist for the first time he was in control of the black horse that was dragging him down."
The Folsom concert scene in "Walk the Line" was not filmed at the prison, which is in Represa. "When you're making a movie for under $30 million, you can't afford to travel," Mangold said. "We built Folsom for ourselves in downtown Memphis."
Joe Avila, the California executive director of the Prison Fellowship, said the inspiration for the "Walk the Line" screening was that "the lesson of Johnny Cash is that it's never too late for a man to turn his life around, and that's a story these men need to hear."
"John believed in the power of redemption and offered his unique gift to anyone who needed to find it within them, and in the process, he inspired millions," said Phoenix. "I can think of no greater way to honor him than to carry on his legacy of using music to connect to all people."
Founded in 1976 by former Nixon administration lawyer Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship partners with local churches across the country to minister to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.
"Walk the Line" opened in theaters nationwide on Nov. 18.
