RING OF FIRE

US, 2013, 89 minutes, Colour.
Jewel Kilcher, Matt Ross, Frances Conroy, Austen M. Stack.
Directed by Allison Anders.

Ring of Fire is the title of June Carter’s song which was also made popular by Johnny Cash and is sung powerfully in the film. Singer Jewel Kilcher portrays June Carter in this brief, episodic biography film. Matt Ross portrays Johnny Cash.
The film is structured in episodes with times given and then the indication of several years later. While this outlines the biography of June Carter, it makes it seem patchy.
The film is a popular television movie for the Lifetime channel, just under an hour and a half, an indication of June Carter, her character, her songs, her career, her marriage to Johnny Cash and love for her son. It was directed by Allison Anders who also directed a film about a singer, Grace of my Heart.

1. The popularity of June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash? The film, Walk the Line? This film as a brief biography outline?
2. The importance of the Carter and Cash songs? The title, Ring of Fire? The many songs throughout the film? The staging? Concerts? Personal, funerals?
3. Audience familiarity with June Carter? Her family, career when young, her teenage, winning competitions, many audiences? Singing with Johnny Cash? Her marriages, family? Marrying Johnny Cash? Love? Problems with drugs, rehabilitation? Her death, his death four months later?
4. The southern settings, the family home, the town, the atmosphere? Tours around southern towns and cities? Nashville?
5. The portrait of June Carter: as a little girl, with her siblings, with her parents, the broad family? Her singing? On stage? Her liking the applause? Her performance, competitions, the accident during her performance and her talking to the crowd, working them, resuming, their applause? The continued performances with the family? Her going it alone? Her marriage, her husband’s infidelity, children? The racing car driver husband? Singing with Johnny Cash, his saying he would marry her? The years passing? The courtship, the wedding? The birth of John? His growing up, the concerts, his joining his parents on stage? Her love for her husband, a strong stance about his pills, addictions, threatening to leave, his renewed promises? The final challenge, the Betty Ford Center, with the therapist, confronting her husband, consoling her son? Almost 20 years clean leaving? The final recording, with her family, the meal, her death?
6. Strong personality, a popular singer, her Grammys, association with Johnny Cash, life and a career, wife and mother?
7. The portrait of Johnny Cash, as a popular singer, welcoming June as a performer, saying he would marry her? The years passing, divorces, courtship, marriage? His talent as a singer? Pills, addictions, collapsing, June confronting him, the Betty Ford clinic, therapy, reconciliation with his son, with June? 20 years of good living?
8. The Carter family, her father and his brother, entrepreneur concerts and tours? Maybelle and her singing, devotion to her family? Accepting Johnny Cash? Old age, peace, her death? June’s sisters, working with them, their continued support?
9. John Carter Cash, his birth, growing up, singing with his parents, his father’s problems, the therapist, his angers, reconciliation? Talking with his mother at the end, promoting her career? The film based on his book?
10. The picture of the audiences, country people, enjoying the songs, the rhythms, the performances?
11. The film’s structure and giving dates, four years later, three years later etc and giving the film something of a patchy development of the life? A television movie?