critics consensus

My Darling Vivian adds an overdue corrective to the public story of Johnny Cash's private life -- and a strong testament to the woman at its center. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

The story of Vivian Liberto, Johnny Cash's first wife and the mother of his four daughters.

Genre:

documentary
Original Language:

English
Director:

Matt Riddlehoover
Producer:

Matt Riddlehoover, Dustin Tittle
Release Date (Theaters):

Jun 19, 2020 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

Dec 8, 2020
Runtime:

1h 30m
Production Co:

Element Twenty Two, This Heart of Mine

Cast & Crew

Matt Riddlehoover
Director

Matt Riddlehoover
Producer

Dustin Tittle
Producer

Josh Moody
Cinematographer

Matt Riddlehoover
Film Editor

Ian A. Hughes
Original Music

Critic Reviews for My Darling Vivian

All Critics (44) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (2)

But the whole point of this illuminating and often moving film is that all of these people have a tale to tell - and one that's not as simple as Hollywood would have it.

July 13, 2020 | Full Review…

Noel Murray
Los Angeles Times
Overall, I sort of wondered "Why?" Why am I watching this movie now? It's interesting... But there's sort of a lack of urgency to it.

June 24, 2020 | Full Review…

Christy Lemire
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
This movie really gets interesting when we get past all of that and we see her from the time of that divorce until she is 71-years-old.

June 24, 2020 | Full Review…

Tim Cogshell
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
It's an interesting movie... It's a sort of reclamation project to restore his first wife to some kind of prominence and not just an asterisk to his career.

June 24, 2020 | Full Review…

Peter Rainer
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
Together, Riddlehoover and the four Cash-Liberto daughters give her the dignity of reminding the world that hers, tragically as it ended, was a love story too.

June 19, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Richard Whittaker
Austin Chronicle
My Darling Vivian does an admirable job of recounting the story of a woman who was ultimately far more than just a footnote in someone else's life.

June 19, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

Peter Sobczynski
RogerEbert.com
Here, Johnny drifts in and out. There's enough focus on his story, with enough rare details, to intrigue his fans; but it's when his dazzling presence is removed that we can see Vivian shine.

December 11, 2020 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Jennie Kermode
Eye for Film
A heartfelt testament from four daughters to their resourceful, strong mother, this tribute to Johnny Cash's first wife, Vivian Liberto is an effort to bring this woman out of the shadows.

November 27, 2020 | Rating: 3.0/4.0 | Full Review…

Charles Koplinski
Reel Talk with Chuck and Pam
With documentation never exposed before, the film recognizes the place Vivian deserves in history. [Full Review in Spanish]

August 28, 2020 | Full Review…

Gisela Savdie
Letra Urbana
Even in her own memoir, Vivian was overshadowed by Johnny Cash. With this documentary, Vivian's family has succeeded in telling her story so that she is front and center where she belongs.

July 22, 2020 | Full Review…

Carla Hay
Culture Mix
You don't have to be a fan of Johnny Cash to love this beautiful story of a beautiful woman told by her beautiful daughters.

July 14, 2020 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

Gary Wolcott
KXL-FM (Portland, OR)
A purely informational bio-doc that nonetheless tells an important story.

July 6, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Edwin Arnaudin
Asheville Movies