PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVES

"WALK THE LINE"

BOLDLY BELIEVABLE

“Walk the Line” provides a rich mix of performance opportunities for JOAQUIN PHOENIX. These opportunities he uses to the full.

Telling the story of Johnny Cash involves exploring many elements. There is -

• the journey from uncertain to confident performer – the confidence comes with experience and success;
• the debilitating experience of a significant drug addiction;
• the self-doubt and complexities that stem from a failing relationship
• the self-doubt that comes from the stresses generated by a major family tragedy and
• the exhilarating experience of actually singing Johnny Cash songs live.

Exploiting Story
These ingredients provide a great variety of opportunity for JOAQUIN PHOENIX but he doesn’t indulge himself with a display of acting skill, he indulges in exploiting and exploring the story. The way to exploit story is to understand the difficulties and confusions a character confronts, so that the actor can process the difficulties and challenges involved in making the decisions the character has to make. It is these difficulties that comprise the milestones of any character’s journey. JOAQUIN understands all the difficulties and pressures so well that you never sense he is acting. He is always dealing with all the inherent difficulties of making the next choice.

REESE WITHERSPOON is also fabulous as June Carter for the very same reasons. She however creates a character that has engaging warmth and an unerring ability to make people laugh. It’s done with simplicity and truth.

Because the actors understand their character’s world and are therefore equipped to think for their character’s they can also deal boldly with moments of choice. These are not limp or safe performances. These are bold, big and adventurous performances but they are always thoroughly believable because they are always dealing with the issues that directly relate to the reasons for telling the story. Acting is not primarily about revealing feelings. It is always about dealing with the difficulties that move the story forward.

The young actors in this film are also wonderfully bold. RIDGE CANIPE (Young J.R.) and LUCAS TILL (Young Jack Cash) are both a joy.

This is a film with a rich believability about all the performances because they all exploit story to the hilt.

It is also a jolly good story. It's well worth seeing.

(The Rehearsal Room view of process firstly explores the fundamentals that create a believable complexity in the character and promote active listening in the actor. Once this task is achieved the next step is to build confidence in playing boldly with the performance ingredients. The ingredients of performance that are productive for the actor are the challenges and complexities of the story and the impulses that the character experiences while dealing with the difficulties created by the story.)

Copyright © The Rehearsal Room 2006. All rights Reserved. www.rehearsalroom.com