September 13, 2005

TORONTO (CP) - Walk The Line, a film about the first few decades of the legendary Johnny Cash's life and career, had its world premiere Tuesday at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Joaquin Phoenix handled the singing in the film himself, and said he was striving to become Cash rather than just to imitate him, following the advice of director and screenwriter James Mangold.

The guiding purpose on the set was to try to be "authentic and honest in being these people, and not being the legend," Mangold told a news conference.

Phoenix said Mangold wanted to explore the man.

"Jim said if people want to hear Johnny Cash, they can get a Johnny Cash record," the actor said. "He's made a few."

The film is based on Cash's own autobiographies, The Man in Black and Cash: An Autobiography, and was made with the blessing of Cash's family. Cash, who died in 2003 at the age of 71 - only months after June Carter Cash's passing - had a string of hit songs, including Folsom Prison Blues, Ring of Fire and Walk The Line.

Phoenix took Mangold's advice to heart and said it was important for him to really learn how to sing, play guitar and learn the process behind songwriting.

"That to me was really, certainly, the gateway into discovering John," said Phoenix. "I feel I found the speaking voice through the singing voice."

Mangold added that Cash was "always riding this river of shadows in his writing that was so revealing."

Reese Witherspoon delivers a vibrant performance as Carter Cash, showing off her comedic and dramatic talents alongside a powerful singing voice.

Witherspoon said she didn't know she would be doing all of her own singing when she accepted the part.

"They didn't tell me," said the petite blond actress. "I was sure they were going to have LeAnn Rimes sing my part."

But Witherspoon said she's happy the decision was made to have her perform herself. "So much of who they were as people was musicians and playing every day and practising," she said.

Mangold said it was essential to have Phoenix and Witherspoon's vocal performances in the finished film.

"To take that away from them and turn them both into Natalie Wood in West Side Story would not be true to the energy of these people as storytellers," he said.

In the film, Cash is portrayed as a man struggling to handle the death of a brother, a distant father, an imperfect marriage and strong religious beliefs - all during his rise to fame and courtship with June. The story is told in flashback and framed by Cash's legendary live performance at Folsom Prison.

"I didn't want to make a movie about what we already know," said Mangold.

Producer James Keach and his wife, actress Jane Seymour, were also at the news conference.

Walk The Line opens in theatres in November.