User Reviews

Good documentary.

At time-stamp 19:54 in this documentary a photo of June Carter with James Gandolfini's doppelgänger appears.

The photo was probably taken in 1954 at Nashville radio station WLAC.

James Gandolfini was born in 1961. 🙂 In the 1950's Gandolfini's Father was a Janitor at a High School in New Jersey.

Just a funny coincidence, but I love when these neat anomolies occur. A diligent researcher could track down the photo and identify who the man actually is, but that wold take all the fun out of it.

Most people don't really appreciate the enormous contribution June and her father A. P. Cash made to American Music. He scoured the rural mid-west finding old Hillbillies to show him traditional Irish and Scottish folks songs to collect that would have been lost without the Carter Sisters getting them archived on audio recordings.

As "June" (2023 release; 98 min.) opens, it is 1998 and we get footage from then 70 yo June Carter Cash as she is recording her first solo studio album in 25 (!) years. We then go back in time to June's early years, being part of the Carter family, including how she started appearing at a very young age on the weekly Grand Ole Opry TV show. At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Coupe of comments: this is the latest documentary from director Kristen Vaurio ("Robin Williams: Come Enter My Mind", "Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief"). Here she looks back at the life and times of one of country music's most iconic woman, June Carter. The overall feeling an approach to this documentary reminds me of a Ken Burns production: careful, well researched, and featuring of course plenty of rare photos and footage. Frankly the documentary is at its best when it deals with June's pre-Johnny Cash years, including her move to New York in the late 50s. And also this: we all too often forget that Johnny's mega-hit "Ring of Fire" was written by... June Carter. There isn't much truly revelatory in this documentary but it is a great reminder why June Carter was so much more than Johnny Cash's wife. Also this: couldn't the film makers come up with a more original title than "June"? It's almost impossible to google this documentary, as it steers you to movies set to be released in June of 2024, or some other variation of that.

"June" started streaming on Paramount+ a week or so ago, and I finally caught it the other night. If you are in the mood for a decent documentary on one of country music's most iconic figures, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.

So young 31-year-old woman talking here. I did not really grow up with June Carter. I discovered her and her husband after I stumbled upon Cash's music. For me, this documentary honoring June was great because I knew so little about her. I don't know why I just felt a connection with June. Maybe it was her quirky sense of humor, the old fashioned Americana I miss, maybe it was the warmth in her face, there was just something about her I instantly liked.

I had no idea stars Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton knew June, wow. And loved her so much as friend. There's admiration of June from both young and old that was beautiful to see, clearly she touched a lot of people. You often wonder how someone behaves behind the scenes, when they're such a public figure. From all appearances June was very kind to most people, unless you were trying to exploit Johnny. Many people loved her.

June Carter gets overshadowed so often because of the great man she married, and their history they made together. She can be a controversial figure for some people, because of the love affair she had with Cash. Whatever you think of that, she deserves to have her story told! I think she deserves more than just the moniker of Johnny's wife or the person who was involved in a love triangle. She blazed many trails in her life, and I'm not a feminist but I was insulted to learn how the record companies did not want to produce her final solo record because of her age. She had a wild, intriguing life, who knew people like James Dean and Elvis at a young age and unlike a lot of people she got to fulfill some unfulfilled dreams before her death. She had a life that few people will ever have, and I think as a woman her legacy in Nashville was often understated. Regardless of gender, someone should be honored when they have reached a ripe old age and they want to leave a lasting legacy.

Her life wasn't perfect and what's wonderful about this documentary is they talk about the pitfalls. We hear Carlena talk about the first marriage that broke her heart for years, about the second marriage of convenience, about the judgment she got for being divorced in a very unforgiving religious era. The archival footage of those days was pretty neat, you don't get to see it mainstream anymore. And they're more honest about the weary years with Johnny. I imagine loving and being married to Johnny Cash was not a picnic, she had a lot of tough strength that most women would not have. You get a fairly clear picture she carried the both of them for some years. She really took the marriage vows seriously with him, when she could have just walked away and no one would have blamed her. And like many caregivers, she was so strong for others that her own health wore out. It's sad.

I'm really really happy to see that June is getting her honored due's in this , and it's not always sunshine and rainbows. People forget that June endured a marriage to a man with many struggles, had struggles herself. She chose to stay tough on the outside and didn't sell her dirty laundry to the tabloids, like many celebrities do, and for that she should be blessed. She's now in God's perfect peace.

And thank YOU to Vicky Hamilton for honoring June's legacy by helping her with her last albums. That was a respectful thing she did.

At the beginning of this documentary, there's a line about how most people know June Carter Cash from Reese Witherspoon's wonderful portrayal in Walk The Line. That was me, to be sure. So, I was mesmerized to see the real-life story of June given its light of day.

Basically, "June" uses archival photos/videos and interviews to tell the story of its titular subject from her time touring with the immensely popular Carter Family of musicians to her own solo career, relationship with Johnny Cash, and continued music-making even into later life. A soup-to-nuts documentary, in other words.

It's so easy to think of June of "Mrs. Johnny Cash", and though her time with Johnny is of course given its fair share here, director Kristen Vaurio really does keep the focus on the woman herself. Most notably, her immense vocal, comedic, and all around performing talents are immediately apparent. Then, her ability to support Johnny and reach the stratosphere of fame (even during tough substance abuse and marital times). Finally, a resurgence of solo music leading right up to--and even after, winning a posthumous Grammy!--her death. I had no idea that June herself was such an icon in the music business.

I also marveled at the archival footage (even of a very young June) that this doc was able to obtain. Through images and video, viewers are taken into basement jam sessions in the Cash home with any number of musical luminaries, as well as an old and rather haggard Johnny playing guitar and doing backup vocals on June's later solo albums. Again, I had never seen or realized any of this previously.

Finally, "June" is as emotional of a doc as one will ever watch. Not a single interviewee can get through her final days without shedding tears, and I can all but guarantee you'll be doing the same after realizing the legacy of June and the hole her loss left on so many lives. That emotion--combined with all the other media present here--make "June" a 10/10 effort with no hesitation.