Not rated 2024 Documentary 1h 38m
Today’s review brings several firsts. It’s the site’s first documentary review. We have our first exclusive interview! And it’s the first movie where I know the filmmaker. “Know” is a stretch, but Director/Producer Kristen Vaurio is the little sister of a friend of mine. (Shout out, Becky!) I knew Kristen when she was a little kid and she was kind enough to do a Q and A with JeffReyviews . I wanted to get that out there in case anyone wants to accuse me of any sort of bias. I am not reviewing this because of the connection; I enjoy her work. She was a producer on the Emmy Award-winning documentary Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief. It’s great. (Unless you’re a Scientologist. If so, you probably already know about the movie and aren’t a fan.)
June is about June Carter Cash. She’s a legend in country music, but in the mainstream, she’s more commonly thought of as “Mrs. Johnny Cash” and as having been portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line. Like a great documentary, you don’t need to know anything about the subject or have an interest in the subject matter to be still sucked in. I’m not a big fan of country music and my knowledge of June was limited so I went in pretty much a blank slate.
June follows a pretty linear timeline. It starts with the making of Carter Cash’s 1999 album “Press On,” jumps to her youth and the Grand Ol Opry, and follows her life back to the “Press On” album (and beyond). Through extensive archival footage and interviews, Vaurio brings a well-rounded June Carter Cash to life. She’s not a saint, she’s not perfect, but she is a likable person. She faced divorce in the 1950s when that was frowned upon in the United States, especially in country music circles. She was a single mother who still pursued a career as a musician and an actress. Yes, she met and married Johnny Cash, but she was so much more than that. She is the one who wrote “Ring of Fire.” She had a full career of her own. The documentary does a terrific job of honoring her life.
June is filled with interviews with family, friends, and A-listers who share their experiences and impressions including Willie Nelson, Reese Witherspoon, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Kasey Musgraves, and Robert Duvall.
I'm joined now by Kristen.
How long have you been working on June?
We shot our first interviews with Carlene Carter and Mark Stielper in July of 2021 and really kicked production into high gear fall of 2022.
What led you to the subject of June Carter?
The family was really wanting to tell her story, so that was really the origin point. I came on through Sandbox Productions, which is a joint venture of Sandbox Entertainment and Sony Music. But I absolutely leapt at the chance. It is a once-in-a-lifetime to tell the story of this woman who was at the center of so much and yet still unknown. Also, you just need to see her onstage for two seconds to see that electric quality she had.
You managed to interview a real collection of A-listers for the film. Who was the hardest get? Any fun/interesting behind-the-scenes stories?
I still pinch myself thinking about it. There was one point where I was telling Lisa and Kris Kristofferson a joke that Willie Nelson had told me that Waylon Jennings told him. I mean, what?!?! Who even am I?
As for people being hard to get; our biggest challenge was schedules - all of these people are incredibly busy, but I think it's really a testament to how much they loved June that they made it work. Robert Duvall doesn't do a lot of interviews these days, so we were so grateful when we got the yes from him and immediately hopped on a plane.
I think something fun about the shoots was the amount of family that got involved behind the scenes. Larry Gatlin's grandson slated his interview, Janine Dunn slated for Ronnie. Our co-producer's dad and brother were PAs, June's grandson Joseph helped out at all our shoots at the Cash Cabin. There was an expansiveness around the shoots that I think truly reflected how June lived her life. There were a lot of times where it felt like her spirit was following us around.
What’s the number one thing you would like viewers to take away from June?
First, I hope no one refers to her as Johnny's wife ever again. I really hope this burnishes her legacy as an artist and star in her own right. Also, I think there's so much we can take from her catchphrase "press on." It captures her tenacity and endurance. She didn't put an expiration date on her dreams and ambitions and I see that as such an inspiration. I find it popping into my head when I've got a challenge in front of me.
Any hints on your next project?
Well, I've got a few ideas percolating, but nothing is quite ready to announce.
Exclusively on Paramount+. Use code "June" for a free month of Paramount+.
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