Grace Clark

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Heartfelt but depressing and this movie may not be for everyone. This isn't so much a tabloid, sensational story if you're looking for that. It is just a life celebration of a woman who tried her best in a life she was never meant for. The story is mainly told through Vivian liberto's daughters. They are fun to hear from, and they paint a vibrant picture of a complex woman, yet I wished at times we could have heard from people other than Vivian's daughters. I think perspective outside the family would have improved this documentary. The journey takes you through the early days of Vivian Liberto in love with a young Johnny Cash and gives you glimpses of the Sweet Love letters they sent each other. It makes your heart heavy hearing all these heartfelt promises of love forever that he gave her in these letters, when you know how it worked out in the end. I understand why Vivian's heart was broken that he didn't keep the promises he made. If someone is not a studier of Johnny Cash, if someone wasn't aware of some of the personal details on her parents problems that Roseanne Cash told in separate interviews from this documentary, then it is very easy to think this marriage was "beautiful" and "meant to be" and was ruined by drugs and fame. Perhaps those two elements played a part in this marriage crumbling, but wasn't the real problem that two people got married when they shouldn't have? I don't quite understand what the attraction was Johnny and Vivian had with each other. They made an odd couple. They had different interests, different ideas of how to build a life. Johnny wanted to see the world, experience all that life had to offer while he sang and performed. Vivian was content to be a wife and a mother with a simple family. I don't think either of them were wrong in what they wanted, but how were they going to make each other happy? We see they couldn't; eventually with Fame and drugs and June as further stresses, the marriage collapsed. Vivian spent a comfortable life serving her church and her family, while Johnny with June traveled the country and the world and lived more life than most people. Both got the life they wanted, it just wasn't with each other. I know Vivian was wounded by everything that happened, but I believe she understands now that she's passed away why things that happened were meant to be.

Just saw the movie today. I will say I was impressed by the blood pumping, thrilling and mostly accurate storytelling of the wild west and the settling of the country. Was very impressed to see the natives not being depicted as the innocent victims this time either. In the opening intro you see Indians killing innocent settlers while they are having a dance party. You don't get much more cold-blooded than that, and that is how many of the Indians were. Especially as they were losing more and more land. The movie follows several different plots of many many characters and this is why I give it four stars instead of five. Kevin Costner plays a deputy I'm guessing? Or a bounty hunter. His role is not very clear and I had difficulty following all the different plots, particularly because many characters couldn't enunciate clearly. I was not understanding a lot of what was going on, and that's a big problem. Plot 1 is : the settlers coming in to settle Indian Territory and getting murdered for it, and the hunt to bring the Indians to Justice. Plot 2: The Sykes brothers I guess and their family..I had no idea who they were and what the hell was going on with them half the time! Why they were after this one woman who stole a baby. I'm assuming that baby belongs to them? Would have liked to have seen just a little bit of explanation. Are the Sykes Brothers supposed to be real people or based on real people? Are they some kind of mafia? It wouldn't have killed Kevin Costner to have some more thought into the backgrounds of these characters. Plot 3: is the wagon trains coming into virgin lands and the wagon trail. Now don't get me wrong, I criticize all this to say I really really liked this movie. I wish the storytelling had been smoother. But overall I enjoyed the movie. I enjoyed seeing the young boy who lost his entire family join up with a posse, to go kill the marauding Indians that murdered his family. I enjoyed the pioneer woman who managed to go on after they lost their entire families. Very compelling characters. And I look forward to seeing future sequels of it because it ended leaving many plots in the air. I can only hope that Kevin Costner plans to do more.

I don't say this about modern authors, because I usually hate them. Alexandra Ripley is one of the few modern authors that I think is very very good! Not only did Alexander Ripley capture the character of Scarlet, she further continues the growth of Scarlet that begin in Gone with the Wind. To the point where Scarlett actually becomes a more tender mother, a more tender person. Rhett Butler is Rhett Butler, mammy is mammy, I don't have any complaints on the characters not being Margaret Mitchell's. They are! And to further praise Alexandra ripley, she captured emotion that I have seldom felt in a book. The near death drowning of Scarlet and Rhett Butler, Scarlett trying to reinvent herself in Ireland, or the British soldier who falls hopelessly in love with Scarlett in Ireland who later is killed in front of her, all of these events had me on the edge of my seat and in tears. I'm not someone who is easily swayed by emotion. Don't pay attention to what the critics say about the Scarlet sequel, read it for yourself. I loved it. I wanted to see Rhett Butler and Scarlett find each other again against All odds. I think Alexandra Ripley did Margaret Mitchell's book Justice.