Walk the Line
Among the pantheon of great country singers, Johnny Cash (played here by Joaquin Phoenix) may just be the most enigmatic. James Mangold's film distills Cash's transformation from man to icon -- from his hardscrabble days on an Arkansas farm to Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn., where Cash finally found a way for his talent to come into its own. Reese Witherspoon plays his beloved June, alongside co-stars Robert Patrick and Shelby Lynne.
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» Reviewed by 9 people
Any "rags to riches" story is a good one, as a story that is... But these movies are a dime a dozen. A kid with a rough childhood; abusive alcoholic father; kid becomes a brooding adult, struggling to achieve success, presumably motivated to gain his father's respect, love, attention, etc.; goals reached, the grown-up kid now struggles to deal with success, turns to drugs & alcohol (like daddy); eventually finds love, happiness, blah, blah, blah. Sure, Johnny Cash's story is a great story of triumph over adversity, and achieving one's goals in the process, but we've seen this movie a hundred times before. Clearly, Ebert was face-down in a vat of ice cream when he saw this movie.- sjw12180 Gmail
This is an absolutely excellent and memorable movie -- and I was no pronounced fan of Johnny Cash prior to seeing this film, so I didn't go in with a blind love for it to begin with. At first, I wasn't very drawn to it, and I didn't find it alltogether entertaining -- it's high points are subtle and require deeper thought rather than wider eyes. It's when the movie ends that you really feel the sheer depth and power of it, and you want to watch it again just to feel it more. That's the test of a good movie, and Walk the Line passes. Joaquin Phoenix is great -- certainly a welcome change from all his creepy, villainous roles.
- JB 1194327
I'd actually give it 3.5 stars. A slice of Johnny Cash and June Carter's life, his rise to fame and a number of bumps along the way. I wish it had at least touched on the end of their career rather than the "oh, we ran out of time, by the way X, Y, and Z happened" at the end of the movie. As mentioned elsewhere Joaquin and Reese do a great job. Still hummin' "Get Rhythm".
- Hypopig
I'm somewhat of a cash fan. i have some cds, some records, but grew up knowing the old man. This movie made both him and especially june carter cash a living legend for me. I was expecting much more of the story to revolve around johnny cash, but was surprised that the movie was more about the johnny/june cash relationship.
- yir 696973
This is a good movie, but everyone should understand that it strictly follows the Hollywood musician biopic forumula to a T. That is to say, we see Musician A as a child, in a less than ideal environment. Child Musician A wants to be a star, but grows up and ends up working some dead-end job. Young adult Musician A stumbles into way to record music. Musician A gets noticed by industry insider. Musician A begins gaining fame and fortune. Musician A gets out of control, alienating friends and family, becomes arrogant, etc. Musician A falls on hard times, ie drugs, women, gambling, whatever. Musician A learns a lesson, and tries to rebuild his relationships. End of story. It's been done over and over again, most recently in Ray and Dreamgirls, but as far back as the musician biopic has existed it's been done just like this. At least here it's done very well.
- Photo Heathen
For the acting artistry alone, Walk the Line deserves five stars. The sets, costumes and script are all fine, but without the stellar work of the cast, this would be just another rock star story with a standard rock star story plot, worthy of perhaps three and a half stars. Phoenix and Witherspoon become their characters on the screen. They really sing the songs, play the instruments and seem to live the lives of those they are portraying. Robert Patrick also deserves special mention for his role as Johnny Cashs father. This film is going to make a big run at the Oscars this year, and I would be shocked if it doesnt at least bag Best Actor and Best Actress.
- LB in Idaho
Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon both do an outstanding job in this biopic on Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. It's also amazing that both did all of their own singing. Like the movie "Ray" did on Ray Charles, this movie showed a lot of the hardships Johhny Cash went through in his life. Many were his own fault. Phoenix and Witherspoon work great together.
- Cleve1212
Prior to viewing this movie, I knew who Johhny Cash was but little about the man or his music. So I was surprised to find, about half way through this movie, that I was completely enthralled. The performances are fantastic and the music is heartfelt and worthy of it's classic rock-a-billy fame. Joaquin Phoenix, who I like from Gladiator, was fantastic - I really thought he was Johnny Cash at times. Reese Witherspoon is also extremely good here, in fact, this is the best role I've ever seen her in. From the authentic story to the incredible acting to the music that defined the man, this is a great movie for all and not just fans of Johnny Cash.
- Creeper
Pretty darn amazing! Walk the Line was deep and compelling in ways that Ray, the biopic about Ray Charles was not. Usually these biopic films which have become rather popular at the moment feel like they have been produced for television--the production, pacing, and overall feel of the films seem rushed and brief, leaving room for commercials. Walk the Line rises above such problems leading us into the enigmatic life of one of the best known popular music icons ever. Perhaps helping this film more than other biopics is the wonderful relationship of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash as protrayed by Phoenix and Witherspoon. Witherspoon clearly deserves her oscar for a dead on June. Is it just me or does it seem that all of the great pop musicians have some sort of guilt-ridden or tortured past that leads them all to spiral into a drug and alchohol soaked lifestyle? Just wondering. It is my understanding that both actors sang their parts and it was truly amazing--very close to the originals. If you are a country music fan or simply a fan of great movies, this film will meet both expectations. Decent special features but not as generous as other packages I have seen.
- TH Reviews