As a documentary, this was a fun watch. But, there is a hypocrisy and irony to it:
This was made as a rebuff to "I Walked the Line" about Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, which painted Vivian in a rather negative light compared to June, according to many who've seen it. But, the irony is that this documentary does the same to June, paints her in a negative light, makes her seem like a home-wrecker (even though Johnny and Vivian were already having problems by the time he met June and they were already emotionally separated), and the daughters speak of her with no affection at all, even though she was their step-mom and mother to three of their siblings! They reminded me of bratty kids who scream "You're not my mother!" to a dad's new love, spoiling what could be a beautiful bond.
At one point, one of the daughters talks about a letter she found that Vivian wrote to Johnny but didn't send, wherein she had asked Johnny to please tell June to stop referring to their daughters as hers. I kinda get where she was coming from, but what she apparently failed to realize is that it's better for the kids to be embraced by the step-mom than to be rejected by her! Many step-children complain of the opposite of what Viv's kids had- and they wish their step-parents would embrace them as their own!
Speaking of step-parents, they also spoke disparagingly of their step-dad, whom Vivian stayed married to until her death! Considering that their marriage lasted until the end, it was gross to hear one of the daughters say things like "Why him?... I didn't like him very much" and making it seem like he only married Vivian for the perks of semi-celeb status! Honestly, the daughters revealed themselves to be not very likable in this. I'm surprised more people don't notice or comment on how rude they come across. The only one who really seemed nice to me was the youngest one, Tara.
I'm sure June was not trying to take the girls away from Vivian, she was just trying to love them, so that they could be one big, happy family. It's a pity that the girls don't seem to appreciate that, and instead describe her as rude, a homewrecker, etc. The hypocrisy is that their mother Vivian's 2nd husband was married when she started seeing him! So, her daughters have no room to criticize June in that regard! That being said, I am not very fond of June at all. She comes across as fake to me in interviews and such, and I don't think she should have made out like she was raising the girls if she wasn't, even for comic effect. Still though, the girls seem very callous and unloving to both their step-parents, and I find that very distasteful. In the wrong or not, they were family and should have cared more.
I do think that it's terrible that Vivian was erased by networks during the Johnny Cash Memorial tribute, and I do think she should have been more acknowledged over the years. But, I also understand that with both Johnny and Vivian having remarried, talking about the previous spouse could easily be seen and felt as disrespectful to the current one, so I totally get perhaps why she wasn't mentioned more. While people try to make it about race these days, I think it had more to do with not wanting to disrespect current spouses, and that makes total sense.
Yes, this documentary is just as slanted against June as critics say the movie "Walk the Line" is against Vivian. As long as you're objective enough to realize that, maybe you'll come away with a feel for the true story, whatever that may be.
All in all, I came away from this with very little respect left for any of them, and liking everyone a lot less. So, the doc didn't accomplish what it set out to do- at least not with me- but I know more now than I did before watching, so it wasn't a total loss. However, I rather wish I didn't. Ignorance is bliss.
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