Walk the Line

"Walk the Line" is the first Oscar contender of the winter season, and perhaps the best movie I've seen since "March of the Penguins" or "Cinderella Man".

Joaquin Phoenix stars as the legendary Johnny Cash, with Reese Witherspoon playing the role of June Carter, the woman Cash loved nearly his entire life. "Line" follows the story of the young J.R. Cash who, at the age of 10, idolizes his older brother Jack and has a crush on the voice of a young June Carter as she and her family perform on the radio. We also learn the roots of Cash's strained relationship with his father (Robert Patrick) and his early love for music.

The story then flashes forward to John's time in the Air Force and his constant desire to form a band. It's here that we are introduced to his first wife, Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin). She really has no desire to be a part of Johnny's music career and would prefer that he go to work for her father. After finally cutting a record, Johnny quickly hits the tour circuit, traveling with such legends as Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins. Touring not only takes a toll on the already tenuous marriage, June is also on the tour, but on Johnny's physical well-being. He eventually turns to pills and soon becomes addicted. From here everything goes downhill for Cash. The tour is cancelled, his wife and kids have left him, and, worse yet, June won't return his calls. Eventually, with a great deal of help from June, Johnny manages to turn things around and continues to pursue the possibility of convincing June to marry him.

Joaquin Phoenix is stellar as Johnny Cash, transforming into The Man in Black. At the same time, Reese Witherspoon gives one of her finest dramatic performances of her career. Even more amazing is the fact that both actors perform all of the songs in the movie, and there are a lot of them. The chemistry between the two is strong and believable, whether on stage or off. Every supporting performance is equally solid, with a potential Oscar nod for Patrick as the father. Based on Cash's own autobiography, not a beat is missed. Do you need to be a Johnny Cash fan to enjoy this film? It might help, but it certainly is not a prerequisite. "Walk the Line" should not be skipped; I give it an A.

"Walk the Line" is rated PG-13 with a running time of 136 minutes.