Can't believe the flick had Cash actually writing "Folsom Prison Blues" - all he did was arrange a Gordon Jenkins tune. He even told Sun Records that was what he'd done, but they stuck his name on it anyhow and got sued - successfully - by Jenkins in 1969.

I can't believe that whoever chose Phoenix and Witherspoon for this flick. It turns my stomach to just think about it. I'm going to have to be REALLY convinced to go see it though I love Carter and Cash.

The actors do a great job - but the movie wanders a bit far from the facts, as usual. Hollywood can't handle the truth.

I thought the film was very good. My husband and I went to see it the Monday before it officially opened at a sneak preview here in Memphis where much of the early movie was set. Hollywood will always take liberties with the truth but if you can set aside disbelief a little the story is very good and I thought the music well done.

So Hollywood takes its liberties. But what a great film! Phoenix and Witherspoon did outstanding jobs. The film was great fun, but just realize that Hollywood does what it thinks to make a film pallatable. So take the film for what it is, a story based on fact, depicting two of America's best!

In response to the gentleman who questioned who chose Phoenix to play Cash . I'ts my understanding it was the Man in Black himself.

Brilliant performances by Phoenix and Witherspoon! The chemistry between these two truly makes the film great. The story and script were good - not excellent - but the two leading actors make this movie more than worth the price of admission. Don't miss it.

Anything to put Cash back in the spotlight, he is very worthy. Still, to show the naked truth of his drug problem, but avoid the question of plegiarism, especially when it was settled by the record label, left out a very juicy slice of real life in the music biz.

Think that would have been too close a look at the belly of the beast for sensitive moviegoers?

Jim-

I would think Hollywood would believe a discussion of plagarism would be "too complicated" for us dumb movie goers, besides offing the possibility of CD sales for the soundtrack.

"This is a love story," said Harry Hollywood, Movie Studio PR Flack, "not some dumb legal thingie that no one cares about."

When asked why distribution for any sort of hard hitting documentary on the music industry's abuse of itinerate blues and early rockers, Hollywood refused comment only to say, "What kinda movie would that be?"

It is so kind of them to dumb it down for us. I'd write them a thank-you card, but can't focus long enough...

My guess is the writers didn't even know. I'd call it a pretty obscure fact. I could have told you all about My Sweet Lord/He's So Fine, but I hadn't heard about this one till someone mentioned it here -- on that thread about artists who change other writers' lyrics to sanitize them, or to otherwise make the story easier to "inhabit." It kind of brought that thread full-circle, if I remember it right.

Jim, could you give me a line on where you got the information concerning the plagiarism of "Fulsom prison Blues"? I have been searching for a synopsis of the event and the only Gordon Jenkins plagiarism case I can find lists a Gordon Jenkins and some of his associates as defendants in a case for lifting the song Tzena, Tzena.

I should see this movie before speculating much more about it. For someone like Jim who knows the background, it had to be galling if it actually showed Cash sitting there making up Folsom Prison Blues. Much more galling than just leaving that little lawsuit out of the plotline. The screenwriters and their researchers didn't know what they didn't know, so it would not have necessarily shown up in their research if they weren't looking for it. And maybe it also didn't come up in any of the interviews with an old, sick, and possibly irritable Cash himself.

But these things do gall. I watched a video of Keith Urban singing "Making Memories of Us." The video shows him sitting on a bed with a guitar, a notepad and a pencil. The camera looks over his shoulder so you can see the words he's scribbling are the words to the song itself. I saw this on VHI Country, which doesn't display the songwriter's name in the credits. I came away from that video thinking Urban had written himself a pretty cool song there. Maybe Rodney Crowell doesn't really mind, since I guess all the right insiders know he wrote it, and BMI checks don't bounce.

Gawd almighty! These comments sections are fabulous stuff! You folks do get it on better than soap operas. Keep em comin.

First off, I have to say as entertainment, the movie was awesome. Witherspoon and Phoenix have great energy together, the music was worthy, and Cash and Phoenix knew each other personally.

It wasn't so much galling as disappointing that so much good stuff was skipped - but then I'm not a screenwriter, just a Cash fan.

Jack, the Jenkins vs Cash lawsuit was filed in 1968-69, right after the "Live at Folsom Prison" release . It was settled out of court. I highly recommend the book "A Man called Cash" by Steve Turner. With apologies to all you indie booksellers out there, here is the Amazon link:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0849918200/qid=1105027512/sr=2-1/ref=pd_ka_b_2_1/002-4811606-1272040?n=283155

Thanks, I will check it out. I tried searching for info online and came up with zilch.

Boy, we have a pretty confident idea that we know The Truth, don't we?

Jump off the high horse, mole - Cash admitted it his whole life to anyone who'd ask. He never intended to "steal" anything, told Sun records it was just an arrangement when he played it for them, and let the folks at Sun make the business decisions. He actually met with Gordon Jenkins several years after the suit was settled, and they got along fine.

I saw the movie, it seems that they did not cut him any breaks. They showed the unflattering parts of his life (his CHEATING heart!). Still, he was an awesome musician. God, would I have loved to have heard him & June live!!!

I saw John and June in concert in 1972. I was only 19 and it was my first ever concert. They had little John Jr. come out on stage and "play" his guitar and sing. It was fabulous. It was truly a memorable event. I have not seen the movie yet. I do need to.