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.

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.