Advanced Review: Lifetime’s RING OF FIRE

This Memorial Day the Lifetime movie Ring of Fire will have its world premiere at 9 PM, starring four-time Grammy Award-nominee Jewel as legendary country artist June Carter Cash.

This made-for-TV movie is based on the book “Anchored in Love: An Intimate Portrait of June Carter Cash” by her son John Carter Cash, chronicling the famous singer’s life from her early days in the rural mountains of Virginia through her marriage to legendary singer Johnny Cash, portrayed by actor Matt Ross (American Horror Story and Big Love) and all the way through to her passing in 2003.

As the film opens, June’s early life is played out alongside her performing mother, aunt and uncle as well as her sisters known as The Carter Family, who were considered the First Family of country music.

By the time she was in her early 20’s, June was performing at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry, where she worked alongside honky-tonk artist Carl Smith, who became her first husband in 1952. It was also around this time that she first met Johnny Cash. Her first marriage lasted only four years, giving June her first child; daughter Rebecca Carlene; as played out in the film, Smith left June and their daughter when the child was very young.

The film continues to spotlight key moments in June’s life, including glimpses at how her career continued to rise culminating in her continually performances alongside Johnny Cash while she was married to her second husband Edwin “Rip” Nix with whom she had a daughter Rosanna Lea. That marriage, sadly, ended after 9 years in 1966. It should be noted that June wrote Cash’s legendary song “Ring of Fire” during this time based on her working alongside him for so many years all the while knowing about his drug use.

It was in 1968 that history was made as June Carter married Johnny Cash – but very little of that wedding is shown in the film rather a brief look at the couple coming home with her two daughters before the “action” returns to their joined careers; and eventually June’s decision to change her name to June Carter Cash (a decision she did not take lightly as she never changed her name for her other husbands).

As the years parade on in the film, we see tender moments in their marriage – the birth of their only son John and happy times at home – as well as the more rocky times – namely Cash’s drug addiction and eventual entrance into the Betty Ford Clinic and the loss of June’s mother Maybelle.

The film rounds out in 2002 when June was finally recording her first solo album at the couple’s home in Virginia with family, friends and crew all in attendance.

There have been numerous tribute films done for June and Johnny over the years – obviously the best known was the Reese Witherspoon/Joaquin Phoenix Oscar-winning film “Walk the Line” – and while this endearing biopic was clearly done as a heartfelt tribute from June’s son John to his mother it probably won’t win any awards, but should, at the very least, pluck at the heartstrings of fans of country music and the Carter-Cash families. Jewel and Ross do an admirable job bringing to life this “larger-than-life” couple who displayed what true commitment, love and faith can bring to any marriage.

Ring of Fire also stars Frances Conroy (Six Feet Under) as June’s mother Maybelle Carter and John Doe (Roswell and X) as A.P. Carter, June’s uncle. The film was directed by Allison Anders (Southland) from a screenplay by writer Richard Friedenberg (A River Runs Through It) and executive produced by Steven Michaels and Jonathan Koch and produced by Asylum Entertainment.

Again, Ring of Fire will debut on Lifetime this Memorial Day, Monday, May 27 at 9/8c.