It's been more than 15 years since the biopic of the legendary Johnny Cash Walk the Line earned acclaim from critics and country music fans alike, and now those very same viewers have an extended edition full of additional material to enjoy available on HBO Max for the first time. Topping out at just over two-and-a-half hours, the latest edition of the Academy Award-winning film features 22 minutes of additional material. Across both deleted scenes from the DVD release and never-before-seen new material, there are several changes between the original and extended versions of this powerful life story.
Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the Man in Black himself, Walk the Line, released in 2005, tells the sprawling story of Cash's tumultuous life and career, drawing details from 1975 and 1997 biographies of the iconic star. It released to widespread acclaim, tallying up five Oscar nominations, including one win for Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of June Carter Cash. Critics lauded the biopic's harrowing look into the musicians' troubles, as well as standout performances from the cast. This includes a chameleonic turn from Phoenix, who performed all the Cash vocals himself.
Shortly after its initial release, in 2008, the film was brought back into the discourse by way of an extended edition, streaming for the first time in 2020. With every reissue comes questions about necessity, but director and extended-edition supervisor James Mangold expressed support for the project, challenging the idea of a "definitive version" of any piece of art in today's media landscape. While speaking with the New York Post, James Mangold discussed Walk The Line and what his additions mean to him. He compared the theatrical and extended cuts of Walk the Line to the studio and live versions of an album. While he has tweeted his preference for the theatrical cut, as it will always have a special place in his heart, he commented on the exciting things he and his team were able to do to the picture with fresh eyes. So just what exciting things does he mean?
Walk The Line Deleted Scenes Integrated Into The Extended Edition
The original DVD release of Walk The Line contained plenty of bonus material for audiences and Cash fans alike to sink their teeth into. In fact, a bulk of the material that extends this version's runtime takes the form of these deleted scenes, now placed into the film where James Mangold and company originally intended. This may come as a disappointment to some who'd hoped for all-new material, but for others less familiar with the original bonus features, it's all the same.
Of the additions, the scene in the church, one of the earliest in the runtime, is most noteworthy. Mangold specifically mentioned this scene while speaking with the New York Post. When originally editing Walk The Line, Mangold couldn't figure out how to make Jack's funeral work emotionally, but now he enjoys the powerful moment it depicts. Other deleted scenes from the movie include a scene in which Vivian hears Johnny singing "Cry, Cry, Cry," one where still-aspiring-musician Johnny accidentally breaks a demo vinyl of his in front of a record executive, a backstage scene where he meets Ezra and Maybelle Carter, and additional scenes on the phone, in the bar, and hearing a sermon. These add to the intimacy and depth of this biopic, allowing audiences to peek further through the window into Cash's life for which the theatrical cut earned acclaim.
New Never-Before-Seen Material
It may come as a shock to hear that so much of the added material comes in the form of deleted scenes. Still, for those who haven't peeled through the bonus features of the original DVD, the extended edition has plenty to offer. The remaining additions primarily take the form of heads and tails to shots that are left to run a few seconds longer here and there. Altogether, these moments amount to a few more minutes in additional runtime, despite being hardly noticeable while watching straight through. When originally cutting the picture, Mangold had concerns about length. The worry that the film would drag if it was too long guided many of the decisions in the editing room. When making the Walk The Line extended edition, the team revisited the cutting table without those concerns during the film's editing process.
Additionally, several musicians' performances get extended treatment. Walk The Line features its cast performing their own musical numbers, and in the extended edition, audiences get to enjoy them a few moments longer. June's performance in the film's first act is longer. Waylon plays his guitar for more time nearly an hour deeper into the film than that. Even Johnny's Folsom Prison set gets a few additional shots and angles of his backstage prep and performance. In a film where the principal cast does all their own singing, it makes sense to prolong that experience in the extended version.
Theatrical Or Extended Cut: Which Is Better?
All told, the extended edition of Walk the Line certainly has a lot of additional material to offer, but does that ultimately make it the better version? After all, the theatrical cut won its critical acclaim all on its own, and Mangold has stated it's his preferred cut. Of course, other reissues of classic films or franchises have drawn a mixed bag. Some, like the 4K restoration of The Lord of the Rings, have earned a place among fans as the definitive versions, while in other instances, post-release director meddling earns a project the ire of fans and critics alike, as is the case with George Lucas' notorious tinkering with the Star Wars films. But perhaps this debate misses the point. Mangold believes as much, stating that there's an idea of this "holy grail" version of every film that perhaps doesn't exist in today's world. He went on to say to the New York Post, “There’s this nexus of internet, interactive gaming, the movies themselves, the interactivity of DVDs and Blu-ray – it’s getting more and more possible to deliver different versions of a vision.” In the end, the audience is the beneficiary of these different versions of Walk the Line, in any form of its vision.