Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that Ring of Fire is a retelling of the life of legendary singer-songwriter June Carter Cash. After walking viewers through her formative years as a performer, her early family life, and her first two marriages, the story turns its focus to her relationship with Johnny Cash and the emotional turmoil she suffered at the hands of his drug and alcohol abuse. He is shown drunk and stoned, and in one case marginally violent (he throws a plate at her in a stupor), but these scenes stay true to the realistic gravity of addiction. If your teen can handle the tough issue of substance abuse, then this movie is a beautiful, undramatized reminder of the power of faith and the enduring nature of love.
Sexual
Content
Adults kiss, and there are allusions to extramarital affairs.
Violence
In one scene, a drunk and stoned Johnny hurls a plate at his wife, but it misses her.
Language
Not applicable
Social
Behavior
Viewers experience the emotional highs and lows of singer June Carter Cash through a demanding but loving childhood, two failed relationships, balancing a career and motherhood, and finally a tumultuous marriage marred by her husband's substance abuse. Though her struggles were many, the movie celebrates family devotion, faith, and the enduring human spirit.
Consumerism
Not applicable
Drugs / Tobacco /
Alcohol
Johnny's habitual substance abuse is explored from the point of view of his wife and young son. A handful of scenes show him stoned and/or drunk beyond reason (and, in one case, nearly comatose from an overdose), but the story focuses more on the emotional fallout of his actions on his family. June and their son describe feeling hurt, angry, and frightened because of his addiction, eventually persuading him to get help to preserve their relationship.
