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Whenever I see so much "Oscar worthy" tags/blurbs in an ad campaign I get nervous, see Cinderella Man. Usually you look closely at the fine print and see that the esteemed critic lauding the film is Joe Schmoe from the One Stop Light Bugle Press in Buttcreek, Illinois or a low level flunky who just happens to work for the media conglomerate that is distributing the film. So my heart sank a little when a film I have been eagerly awaiting was swaddled with such praise when the ads hit the air.

But they're right for once.

Joaquin Phoenix wears Johnny Cash like a suit. He isn't doing a Rich Little impersonation, you don't rub your eyes in disbelief, but he channels a man so distinct in appearance and voice to a level that is beyond admirable. One of the traits that made Johnny Cash a legend was that nobody sounded or looked like him. Short of a computer generated Cash walking around in his own bio-pic like one of those John Wayne beer commercials this is the definitive representation.

And yet Phoenix may not give the best performance in the film.

Reese Witherspoon more than holds up her end in a role that easily could have been reduced to a clichéd bumpkin. Witherspoon portrays the on-stage June in the way June portrayed her own "character", the stage persona that people adored, while giving her the resolve and inner strength to be the woman who tamed a hell-bent, grizzly bear of a man like John.

The chemistry of Phoenix and Witherspoon together in any scene, but their on-stage duets in particular, are truthful in a way that resonates long after the credits. I know that unless you have been living in a cave for the past week you have likely been bombarded with the word that the actors sing themselves without use of lip syncing. I have never been a fan of musicals, or even musical performances in a film. They generally seem forced and uncomfortable to me, the moment when I stop experiencing the story and feel reminded that I am watching a movie. I never felt that in this film. I never felt that their singing took the focus of the film, but the performances work with the story like no other music bio I have ever seen. I never felt as if I was being led through the catalog, the songs felt as organic and natural as any spoken dialog in a great narrative.

This film far exceeded my expectations and afforded me the first trip home from a theater with a true feeling of satisfaction in a very, very long time. Highly recommended.

Considering the formula junk coming out of Hollywood these days, I was blown away by how good this movie was. The direction was perfect. Using close ups to get us in under the skin of Johnny Cash. And since it was a period piece, he could have bored us with lots of cgi of Memphis and L.A. to take us back in time. Instead he used the actors and the music to take us there. Biopics naturally have a formula to them, but the director and screenwriter did not take us down the track of overly sentimental scenes. These were real and done with a bit of well placed humor. Just like real life. Afterall you still have to follow the real lives of Johnny and June. You can't make it up, just to be original! The movie was also a movie you can take most of the family to. No nudity and sex to SHOW how in love they are, just real dialog...it's nice to hear REAL dialog and not just another chase scene, or four letter word. Yes, some movies need that to tell the story, this one doesn't. This movie goes onto my short list of great biopics, with "Ray". Not much else comes close to Ray or Walk the Line. The true test of any biopics is: can you still understand the plot even if you never heard of the people the movie is about. This movie is a great love story even if you never heard of Johnny and June Cash. Oscars all around I say! Plus I loved the Rockabilly music through out the movie.

Wow, what a film. I had been waiting to see this movie since I read that Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were cast in the lead roles. I was not sure what to expect when I heard they were going to do their own singing, but was I ever impressed. Their performances in this movie were brilliant, and I had chills down my spine. It was truly amazing how much Phoenix sounded like Johnny Cash-this was a role he was born to play, and he was mesmerizing. Totally sizzling. Witherspoon was positively radiant as June Carter, and talk about chemistry between the two actors. Talk about lightning striking! I only hope they are rewarded for their efforts come Oscar time. This was a truly amazing movie, filled with great music, a top-notch supporting cast and a terrific script which was wonderfully directed.

I've long thought that James Mangold was one of the most underrated American directors; while other acclaimed auteurs like Wes Anderson and David Gordon Green have made names for themselves by essentially repeating themselves with each film, Mangold has attracted considerably less attention for actually having the gall to show some range. Like the great directors of the Hollywood studio system, Mangold shows visual and narrative skill across a wide array of genres: character-driven crime (COPLAND); horror (IDENTITY); issue-oriented drama (GIRL INTERRUPTED), etc. What each of these films shares in common is a stunningly elegant and expressive visual style, an attention to character reminiscent of Renoir, and an economy of storytelling that would make Howard Hawks envious.

Now Mangold has delivered his masterpiece, and it's the best studio release I've seen so far this year. WALK THE LINE, Mangold's story of the relationship between Johnny Cash and June Carter, is deliriously romantic, exhiliratingly entertaining (as a musical it invites and earns comparison with the best of Vincente Minelli), and profoundly moving--all set to a spectacular soundtrack. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are both brilliant as Cash and Carter, but not only in the ways you would expect. Their most impressive achievement is to convincingly portray two people falling in love in a manner that's sincere and sweet but never cheaply sentimental. This is the most unabashedly romantic American movie since THE NOTEBOOK, but it's totally authentic and lacking in melodrama; the subtlety with which Mangold and his performers delineate the one step forward, two steps back nature of Cash and Carter's love affair is staggering. Phoenix is particularly brilliant, not only in the romantic scenes but in moments in which Cash discusses his brother's early death; in these scenes the major tragedies of both the character and the performer's lives merge in a way that is heartbreakingly real. And the movie gets across the intoxicating nature of creative collaboration between two people in love better than any film I've ever seen--perhaps no coincidence given that Mangold and his closest collaborator, producer Cathy Konrad, are married. I could (and will) go on about this movie for hours, but let's just say that it's the movie to beat for the rest of the year.

Walk the Line is a great movie. When you watch it, you feel as though you are watching Johny Cash in person. Juaqin Pheonix is amazing as Cash, a man with so many regrets and self doubts. Reese Witherspoon gives an Oscar performance as the love of his life June Carter. The film is long, but worth every minute. But what is great is that T Bone Burnett chose the right songs to play. When I saw it today people in the theater were singing along with the movie. And what is great, is that Pheonix and Witherspoon sand the songs themselves. This movie should win several Oscars this year. Go see it. It is an amazing film, and it perfectly protrays an amazing man.

I absolutely loved it. More my dad's music than mine (I was born in 1960-am a rock-n-roller), but tapped my feet the whole way thru. It is funny, I grew up with certain songs of Johnny Cash, and heard about the legend of the "man in black" for as long as I remember, but this movie adds a whole new dimension to the man, his music. I think it's great maybe a whole new generation might come to enjoy his contributions too.

J.Phoenix and R. Witherspoon were phenomenal and made this film a joy to watch. I have not enjoyed any movie so much in a long time. Judging by the applause and the grins on the movie goers faces on the way out-I was not alone in my whole-hearted enthusiasm for the movie.

Gonna order me a J.Cash CD!

I don't know about "Mangold the Auteur", and might need a bit more proof that this is really a director worth paying attention to, but this is a pretty watchable film. I found the story and film-making a bit predictable, like the usual bio-pic formula that you might expect if you've seen, say, coal miner's daughter, or any other bio-pic of someone you love. What makes this movie stand out is the two lead performances. Reese is unbelievably convincing as June Carter Cash. She almost disappears into the role. And her singing! Who knew???

And Joaquin! We've been waiting for him to deliver a really spectacular performance for some time, and this is finally it. I, for one, resisted the idea that ANYONE could portray the man in black, but he does a pretty fine job. Not just an impersonation, but actually a performance worth watching. Really fine.

Watch for the Jackson duet. Really awesome.

Forget North Country, Walk the Line directed by James Mangold (Girl Interrupted) and written by Mangold and Gill Dennis is the better 2005 Oscar contender.

This romantic tragedy, which is based on the autobiographies of Johnny Cash The Man in Black and Cash: the Autobiography was actually written and perfected alongside the famous duo Cash and June Carter Cash before their deaths in 2003.

The movie begins with a young, music obsessed "J.R." Cash growing up in a poor cotton farming family in Arkansas. Shortly afterwards, a family tragedy changes his life forever.

Cash (Joaquin Phoenix) leaves for the air force, where he is stationed in Germany, buys an old guitar and proceeds to write one of the most recorded songs in history along with many others.

Upon returning, Cash's obsession leads him to a recording studio and into the spotlight with June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) as well as Elvis Presley (Tyler Hilton) and the comical Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne.) The next emotional hour and 45 minutes is filled with great music, drug dependency, infidelity, and most of all love.

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, who sang every song themselves, completely shined in this movie. There are no better actors that could have filled the shoes of the Carter-Cash duo. Phoenix and Witherspoon had such great chemistry, by the end of the movie you actually think they might really be in love.

However, if you tend to get restless in longer movies, the running time of 136 minutes can start to seem a little long towards the end, but it's well worth it.

Overall Walk the Line receives nine out of ten stars. The movie did an excellent job portraying the life of the "man in black," his soul mate and their rocky path on the way to love. If Phoenix and Witherspoon are not nominated for their amazing voices and chilling performances, it will be a great disappointment.

Some truly great acting, especially from Joaquin Phoenix but it's a tedious and repetitive account of a pill popping alcoholic with serious psychological issues. If you're a fan of the man and his music it may mean a bit more but I just got fed up of watching the same sub-plot continually repeating carousel - hard work, difficult to like and challenging, just like the protagonist.

At one level, this is the same old thing: success, booze, redemption, comeback. Nothing new at all here and the history changed to fit the formula.

At another level — the one most moviegoers will see — is a concert with background intended to make the concert richer. If you had ever seen John and June perform, you will know that this movie version is a whole lot better. And you may also admit that the reason you went to see them wasn't because of their music, but because of the whole story of them and what they symbolized -- and how that colored the music.

In other words, their lives were deliberately part of the show. They made it so, even punching up John's ex-con status and other tough guy attributes. The whole Carter family developed this as a marketing strategy long before John appeared, though their lives were artificially made in the mold of wholesome, white Baptists.

So, if you follow these things, what we have here is a nice construction: Two stage performers who make their lives part of their performance, portrayed in another performance (the movie) that features the reverse: lives illustrated through stage performances. Managing all those layers as they have makes this mildly interesting.

And the surprise of Reese is something too, though it makes sense if you know the type that southern women played as roles in those days.

What's missing is all the interesting stuff. John's obsession with the devil, the theories of his brother being murdered or committing suicide, the long-term weaving of paths with Bob Dylan — holy and otherwise. The debauchery. The deliberate manipulation of religion in the 70s as part of the public relations of his comeback. His phenomenal loss of weight. The rivalry among his touring mates. Deep, deep, rivalry.

Now wouldn't all that real stuff have made a better movie than the formula script we have here?

As with all big movies these days, you have the movie proper and you have the beginning sequence. Studios (meaning financiers) take these very seriously and bring in a separate creative team, usually uncredited. This opening is far, far better than the movie itself. It has a whole different feel, obviously a different director and cinematographer. Obviously edited by a different crew.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.

Rarely has a biopic film made such a racket at the box office. After viewing the DVD version of WALK THE LINE the reasons for that success must be attached to some sort of homage to Johnny Cash, an American icon of sorts. Yes, his life and career are notable - the emergence of a legendary Country Western singer out of the elements of a warped childhood peaked by the accidental death of his older brother whom the father clearly preferred, and the torture of self doubt that haunted a man through an unsuccessful marriage and a thwarted love for fellow Country Western singer June Carter, his descent into alcohol and drugs, and his final victory over his demons - but isn't this the same story we see almost annually about famous stars whose backgrounds seem templates from this same mold? Joaquin Phoenix is a fine actor and has the courage to take on a variety of roles, succeeding in them all. And yes, he was able to sound like Johnny Cash (given the fact that even Cash's fans will admit it was not a voice of quality but of message). Much the same could be said for Reese Witherspoon's tackling successfully the equally mediocre quality voice of June Carter - again it was her sassy style that made her a star, not her voice. And perhaps that is the reason the writers and director elected to spend most of the screen time on the singing and concerts of Cash and Carter - leaving very little of the story of Cash's life except to outline form between songs.

But if you condensed the actual acting time on the screen it falls into the overly familiar family clashes, drunken bouts, weaning off drugs, spats and eventual public displays of feelings that seem to be the formula for this genre of biopic. Though Phoenix and to an extent Witherspoon do well with the material they are given, does the result merit Oscar attention? That is up to the voters. It seems to this viewer that there have been many finer performances by less publicized actors in the smaller films more worthy. But then what are the Oscars for if not for PR for the movies. Just not that impressed. Grady Harp

Before watching this film, I had my doubts. Johnny Cash is one of my favourite country singers, nay, singers of all time, and I was unsure as whether, as with other mediocre biopics, namely the flashy Ray, could do him enough justice. As it turned out, Johnny gets the film he deserves, and, what's more, Walk the Line got me extremely interested in the work of his wife, June Carter Cash.

Covering 20 years of his life, including Cash's rise into fame and delve into near-self-destruction, James Mangold concentrates on the key things in his life – his music, the drugs, and his all-consuming, untameable love for the very special June Carter Cash. It is as a romance that Walk the Line truly shines. In real life, Johnny and June didn't get together until 20 years since their first meeting, and that they could wait that long for each other, is quite poignant.

Holding the film together are the Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning figures of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, and their chemistry pretty much carries the film. When they're together, they both dazzle, gelling perfectly, whether it's a bout of verbal jesting, they're doing a duet, or just chatting. Phoenix captures the tortured soul of Cash eloquently in one of his finest performances, and one that exudes that dangerous yet enthralling edge of danger present in Cash. His singing voice resembles that of Cash's, yet he never resorts to downright imitation, which only adds to the viewing pleasure.

But the shining star of the film is Reese Witherspoon, as June Carter Cash. She plays the singer-songwriter-country music star that grabbed the attentions of Johnny Cash, but proved a hard win, forcing him to quit his narcotic dependence and violent self-destruction before she'd consider him. Although many have disliked Witherspoon's work her, I simply adore it. She makes June a truly memorable, Crouchesque, person. For the audience, she can be goofy and lovable, but alone, with Johnny, she displays a vulnerable side. Witherspoon here radiates a strong, feminist, yet effortlessly lovable vibe, and every scene she appears in, she steals.

The look and feel of Johnny's time are captured well in the set design and T-Bone Burnett guitar-led score, and the costumes are nothing short of sublime. The dressing of Cash is inspired, but it is June's clothes – floral print, pink, domestic, or snazzy, that, again, steal the show. Each of Reese's costumes captures the mood of her characters.

There's also great fun to be had in the musical numbers. Ring of Fire and Jukebox Blues allow the audience to get their toes tapping, but my favourite number is the performance of Jackson, where their unmatched chemistry is showcased in one of my favourite songs of all-time. Like the film, this song is entertaining, sweet, and more intelligent than frequently given credit for.

FIRST: Let us FOCUS on the Title's Content and Context.....

Here is a BIOPIC focused on a real life cultural icon who rose to fame at least a generation before most of You Dear Readers were even BORN!

In L. A., California, in the 50s and 60s, my daily habit of listening to TOP 40 Radio exposed me to just about every kind of music genre, pretty much all of the time! Interestingly enough, I acquired, eventually, a taste for just about all of them, to one degree or another! Well, pretty much everything...JAZZ, not so much, really, and definitely NOT at all: COUNTRY music!

The ONLY Country album I EVER bought in my ENTIRE life (Well, at least before turning 50!) was "Johnny Cash: His Greatest Hits"! Upon realizing that they had released a movie about his life, it immediately went to the top of my "MUST SEE" List!

Here is the central question for ALL of You to ponder BEFORE... DURING ...and AFTER watching: Precisely what was it about his music that gave it such widespread appeal? Exactly what ELEMENTS made Johnny Cash and his Music so very, very special?

It would be nice to be able to provide a simple, straightforward answer to both questions, but in the film, WALK the LINE, it is all too clear, that in real life, when it comes to a human being, things sure can get extremely complicated!

As a result, here, we end up with a movie that mirrors the life of its lead character: very interesting, entertaining, multifaceted, but at the same time, often dark, brooding and conflicted!

I most certainly MUST emphasize ...WALK is a film I can wholeheartedly recommend no matter how you feel about Johnny Cash and/or his music.

Quite frankly, for the role of Johnny Cash, Joaquin Phoenix (GLADIATOR) is not someone who would have made my short list, or even my long list, for that matter! WOW!, What a surprise! This actor, who was born in Puerto Rico, demonstrates tremendous versatility, both as an actor as well as a singer... (Yes, that is Joaquin Phoenix's own voice in the movie!) However, I do think that, at times, Mr. Phoenix comes up just a little bit short when it comes to his ability to project his voice firmly, but his performance, in general, was so masterful, that this point is quite easily overlooked.

What really drives WALK? What gives it its soul and keeps it focused and centered is the repressed romance between Cash and the love of his life, June Carter (Reese Witherspoon / Legally Blonde, Cruel Intentions) Joaquin Phoenix, despite shining in the title role, is overshadowed by Witherspoon's overwhelming screen presence in the scenes where they appear together.

Previously, WITHERSPOON had never really flagged my attention that much, perhaps other than her notable characterization of Tracey Flick in ELECTION. In most of her roles she seemed to be type cast as the syrupy sweet, but at the same time, rather annoying girl next door! WALK is well worth any time and money you invest to see Reese demonstrate her considerable acting talents ... And how clearly she demonstrates just how stunning those abilities are!

Surely, WALK the LINE, for a myriad of reasons, invites comparison with another film about the life of another famous musician, RAY. Perhaps, there are many common elements in the life of famous musicians: A tragic childhood, years struggling in anonymity, problems with alcohol and drugs, a great deal of conflict and tension in their affective relationships and great difficulty accepting and managing fame and money. But after all, each story is real and each contains many elements that distinguishes it from others!

8******** ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!

Any comments, questions or observations, in English o en Español, are most welcome!

"Walk the Line" is without question the zenith of Reese Witherspoon's acting career thus far. Joaquin Phoenix IS Johnny Cash in this biopic, but Reese as June Carter Cash sets this film on fire. It is one thing to portray a person's life, with feeling and emotion, something which Joaquin pulls off effortlessly. However, it is quite another to make a portrayal bigger than life, and Reese makes June Carter Cash the central character of this film.

To say that Reese steals the show is an understatement. Reese becomes a lightning rod for Joaquin's character, in a way that is actually quite scary. After all, Reese is from Nashville, and her Southern affect is flawless and absolutely winning. Suffice it to say that Reese will thankfully be present when the Academy Awards are presented next year. She might want to get a few words ready.

This movie will not be everyone's favorite flick, if for no other reason than that it is a biopic of flawed, Southern characters. However, perhaps the very flaws that imbue these characters with vitality and realism can establish the acting of Joaquin and Reese with an almost spiritual meaning, as they live these real people on screen. But in the final analysis, Reese Witherspoon will become the greatest contemporary screen actor upon release of this film. See for yourself. You read it here first.

"Walk the Line" is a good biopic of the early years in the life of singer, songwriter, musician and actor Johnny Cash. Joaquin Phoenix does a good job playing Cash as he breaks into music. The talented Cash, who became much more known as a quiet, withdrawn man for most of his performing life, had some raucous early years. The film covers his first marriage, road trips while struggling to make a name for himself, and his drug use.

This also was the time when he met and befriended June Carter who would later become his wife. The film ends before the major part of his career with Carter - their last 35 years together. Reese Witherspoon gives a superb portrayal of Carter. She won the only Academy Award of five nominations for the film. But the movie took the top three Golden Globe honors for the year - best picture, best actress and best actor. Witherspoon also won the BAFTA award for best actress. Ginnifer Goodwin also gives a superb performance as Cash's first wife, Vivian.

While Cash was known mostly as a country musician, he had a versatile portfolio of songs and performances. He played and sang blues, rock and roll, gospel and folk music. He is in three music halls of fame - Country, Gospel, and Rock and Roll. He sold more than 90 million records in his lifetime.

As so many other musical biopics, "Walk the Line" covers mostly the years up until the person makes it big. This is one when I would have enjoyed another 20 minutes or so to see performances of some of the top songs that Cash wrote and played. Cash and Carter died within four months of each other in 2003. He was 71 and she was 73.

Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.

I've seen a lot of singer biopics: all the way from the Buddy Holly Story to Coal Miner's Daughter. This one can't quite make it to Coal Miner, but it's light years ahead of Buddy. I read a review today that said that Joaquin was too short and Reese was too pretty to play Johnny and June. The reviewer was right, but what the hell does that have to do with great acting. They got it right and this old hillbilly cried, that's right--cried--at every historical landmark they hit. Oscars for Joaquin and Reese--that's all I want.

woody pulps

Walk The Line update 03/19/2006.

A retraction is in order. Not only have I come to realize this movie beats all the singer biopics, in my opinion, it beats all biopics and, indeed, has become my favorite movie...period. Read Jack Shaw's comment below. It's worth your time.(I did exactly what you asked and resisted a comment on a comment, but I gave in even though I tried).

Oh, and by the way, if Dan John Miller wasn't channeling Luther on the guitar, there is no such thing.

Great lines from the movie:

June Carter...June Carter...when will you be mine? (sing it to the tune of Hey, Porter).

June: I surmise you haven't been to bed. An intoxicated Johnny: surmiiiiiise....

Luther Perkins: It's in A....A (nods 'yes' to Marshall Grant).

June: I got tangled!

woody pulps

This movie seemed like a remake of "Ray" with a touch of "The Doors." It seemed to have elements of just about every biopic about a pop musician ever made, including: What's Love Got to Do With it, The Rose, Coal Miner's Daughter, Stardust, Almost Famous, That'll Be the Day and Velvet Goldmine.

It starts with Cash's poor tough childhood on a farm and the tragic death of a brother only a year or two older. He doesn't get on with his Dad and later on his first wife doesn't understand him. Both are recurring causes of angst and friction. Cash has talent and success inevitably follows. Cash has a period where he does everything to excess, including drugs, drink and groupies. There are a lot of concerts with time spent on tour buses. He meets June Carter, falls in love and is eventually saved by the love of a good woman. The story was so predictable that I didn't really care about the characters.

Reese Witherspoon's June Carter is sweet, perky, sensible and very likable. However, I didn't understand why she deserved an Oscar or why she would like the person portrayed by Joaqin Phoenix. Cash seemed confused and behaved like an irrational little boy lost. I saw Cash on TV in the late 1960s and he was smart, funny, confident and very much in control. Phoenix lacked the charisma and vocal chops the role demanded. Overall the movie was formulaic, and given the hype I was disappointed.

Johnny Cash has quite a few things in common with the actor who plays him in this movie. This is a worthy portrayal of the great American singer-songwriter, a man who was always on the side of the downtrodden and those who, like himself, were tortured souls. The music is pretty faithfully reproduced, and the movie is measured, dignified and entertaining. This is a fascinating and authentic film about a fascinating and authentic person.

Growing up Johnny Cash's ambition was to make it onto the radio with his band but as an adult the reality is different. His wife and family are stuck in poor housing and he is frankly terrible at his door-to-door sales job. Unable to turn down his wife's wish to move towns and for him to take a job her father has offered, Cash turns to a local recording studio in desperation. The band's audition is unimpressive and Cash's delivery uninspiring but, giving them one last chance, the studio manager lets them do another song – which they deliver with much more passion and interest than their weak spiritual material. With a record under his belt Cash begins touring with many other rising rock and country stars as he begins a successful but storming personal and professional life.

Without a great love for country music or for that matter biopics, Walk The Line took me some time to get round to seeing but when I did I was glad that I had because it is just simple a good film that rises above the genre. The film starts with formative moments from Cash's childhood and very quickly jumps through to adulthood, marriage and a dead-end job with no future or money. From here we know where the story is heading – even if some of the viewers may not know the specifics as they apply to Johnny Cash. So we have the career rise of Cash matched with his personal fall – much of his own making in regards women, drink and drugs. However this content is presented in a solid and engaging way because we care a lot about the characters and what is happening to them.

Style-wise Mangold is relentlessly sturdy but never dull in his portrayal of the characters and he does well with the most important part – his actors. I do recall some questions being asked of the casting and for my money anytime Reese Witherspoon is cast I do ask questions myself. However the cast are roundly impressive and make their characters convincing and engaging. Phoenix is really good and he has great chemistry with Witherspoon, who is also excellent throughout. Robert Patrick was one of the few other faces I recognised and it made me realise that, for a "big" film, there are hardly any established stars here and yet this never even occurred to me till after I finished watching the film. In terms of the musical numbers I'm not sure who was really singing and who wasn't but they are all really good and well filmed to be engaging and exciting.

Walk the Line is a really good biopic and I know this because it engaged me as someone with little interest in Cash or his music. In regards narrative it ticks all the boxes that you know it will but yet still manages to make it interesting and never once was I thinking "heard it all before". Of course it also helps that both Phoenix and Witherspoon deliver really effective performances to draw the viewer into the characters from the start and throughout.

I always heard of Johnny Cash growing up and I've listened to a couple of his songs before, but I have never really known much about him. Watching this movie, I was able to learn more about him and who he was. I'm not sure why, but this movie is not really my favorite. It was definitely interesting, but it's just not my type of movie. Aside from that, the movie was very well made and had great acting. A great scene from this movie was when June Carter and her family are staying at John's house trying to help him recover from his addiction to drugs and they chase his drug dealer off his property with their rifles. The plot of this movie is just the timeline of Johnny Cash's life and all that he went through. It starts out when he was a little boy and continues on to when he becomes really famous. Before I watched this movie, I didn't really know a lot about this time period, or about Johnny Cash and his life. The history part of the movie was interesting to me, because I was able to learn a little more about the time period, but also learn the history of Cash. I have seen a few civil rights movies that were also set around this time period (50's to 60's). There wasn't really anything in this movie that made me question its accuracy, but I didn't know a lot about Johnny Cash before. This movie, even though it was set in the 50's and 60's reminds me of some famous people now who do drugs like Cash did. I hear a lot about certain movie stars who overdose. The director of this movie is James Mangold. I've only seen one other movie by him, Kate and Leopold. The two main actors in this movie are Joaquin Phoenix, who plays Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon, who plays June Carter. I have seen Reese Witherspoon in another movie, but I have never seen Joaquin Phoenix in any movies besides this one. They are both great actors. My favorite scene in this movie is the first scene where Johnny Cash performs after he makes his first record. The atmosphere of the scene was really cool and really set the mood for a concert. This movie was very well made and had great acting. I liked that it had the nitty gritty of Cash's life as well as the good things; that made it more realistic. It's not a movie that I would watch on my free time because it is not a personal favorite. I would recommend it to others who like Johnny Cash or that type of music, though.

i just had a 3 hour movie inflicted on me - called "walk the line" .. a johnny cash biopic ..

while really well photographed, well acted and competently sung, after three hours you get up and leave the cinema, thinking: "there IS something missing here"

this movie leaves you without ANY emotional involvement - NONE whatsoever ... thats what is missing here ...

even if had just filmed the encyclopedia entry on johnny cash this would have had more emotional impact

so - unless your a die-hard, dyed in the wool, 100% hardcore johnny cash fan - don t walk the line

this is a showcase for the fact that it is not enough to have good actors - you also need a good story ..

"Walk the Line" is a good movie, but what makes it well worth going out of your way for, even if you are not a country music or Johnny Cash fan, is Joaquin Phoenix's raw, mesmerizing performance of masculine power and vulnerability. Phoenix deserved the Academy Award for this performance, and more.

Early in the film, music producer Sam Phillips, in a wonderful speech encapsulating the power of pop music, demands a great performance out of the then unknown "J. R. Cash." Cash, who has not yet sung professionally, and who could have crumpled after Phillips' challenge, slowly emerges out of himself, like a snake emerging out of its skin. Phoenix communicates both the power and the risk of this performance. You heart breaks for what he's going through, and you get goosebumps for what he's about to become. That scene is worth the price of admission.

But there's more: success, sex with groupies, drugs, onstage triumphs and embarrassments, near death, and resurrection. Phoenix just knocks every scene right out of the park.

Phoenix is unforgettable as a man in love. I've never seen an actor communicate "in love with" a woman as profoundly as Phoenix does here.

As for the singing -- Phoenix does his own singing. His voice is close enough to Cash's to work, but it's more than that. It's also arresting and beautiful and worth listening to on its own.

There are some weaker performances / underwritten parts in "Walk the Line." Perhaps the filmmakers did this in order to make Cash, a drug addict and adulterer, more sympathetic to the audience. This was a mistake. Cash's story is compelling enough; we could handle placing Cash in a world populated by real people rather than cardboard cutouts.

"Walk the Line"'s Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison are not as hyper and unique onstage as they were in real life. Lewis, onstage, was about five times more electrified than he is depicted here. "Walk the Line"'s Elvis Presley is about junk food, trash talk, and drugs. The real Elvis was about those things, too, but he was also something more; that's not even hinted at, here.

The worst example of making others look like less so Cash would look like more is the film's portrayal of Vivian Cash, Johnny's first wife. She's just an unbearable horror show of a woman: unsupportive, grasping, snappish. She's not given one sympathetic moment. Vivian and Johnny's daughters have protested that Vivian was not well served by the movie. And Cash's mother is played by an actress who is roughly the same age as Phoenix, and that shows.

Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for her depiction of June Carter Cash. She is good. The script didn't make as clear her role as Cash's savior as Cash's own comments have.

I'm not a huge fan of country music, so I delayed seeing this movie. When I finally saw it what made it worth it, to me, was Phoenix's performance. He's just riveting, in every scene, and well worth seeing this movie for.