Nearly four decades after Johnny Cash recorded his groundbreaking live album “Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison,” 20th Century Fox will screen its Cash biopic “Walk the Line” at the California state prison.
Film star Joaquin Phoenix, who received a Golden Globe nomination last week for his portrayal of the late “Man in Black,” will be on hand for the Jan. 3 screening. The film begins and ends with Cash’s electrifying performance at the prison.
“We invited 20th Century Fox to screen ‘Walk the Line’ at Folsom because the lesson of Johnny Cash is that it’s never too late for a man to turn his life around, and that’s a story these men need to hear,” said Joe Avila, California executive director of the nonprofit Prison Fellowship.
Added Phoenix: “[Cash] believed in the power of redemption and offered his unique gift to anyone who needed to find it within them, and in the process, he inspired millions. I can think of no greater way to honor him than to carry on his legacy of using music to connect to all people.”
Founded in 1976 by Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship partners with local churches nationwide to aid prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.
Source billboard.com.
