WALK THE LINE

Director: James Mangold (Identity, Kate & Leopold, Girl Interrupted)
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick

Johnny Cash makes it big, does drugs, hits bottom, and then learns to love his father and himself. Father-loving aside, this film’s similarities with Ray, last year’s Ray Charles biopic are many. They both tell the same story as every VH1 Behind the Music ever produced (a bunch of nobodies make it big, do drugs, hit bottom, and then rebound). The differences these films have are the added factors of truly excellent music (can you imagine a Motley Crue feature film?), and the truly rough conditions of Ray Charles’ and Johnny Cash’s childhoods. Apparently both lost brothers early in their life. How strangely coincidental is that? The other (rather humungous) difference is the top notch writing and acting and directing of both of these films. Here Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give Oscar-quality performances, Oscar winning quality performances that is. They both have real shots at this year’s awards. This was a very, very good film. One of the year’s best undoubtedly. (November 27)


Standouts: Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as Johnny Cash and June Carter.
Blowouts: Nothing that I can think of.

Grade: A

11/28/2005