Walk the Line

Walk the Line (2005) starring Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick. Phoenix plays country star Johnny Cash in this biopic, and does a pretty good job of singing Cash's hit songs. Witherspoon won an Oscar for her sparkling portrayal of June Carter, Cash's eventual true love and wife. A movie like this is a tough sell, because Cash is so recognizable and it's just about impossible for an actor to look like the person he's portraying. Phoenix gives it his best shot, but he falls short. Also, the film puts a little too much emphasis on the soapy aspects of the story, namely Cash's long and arduous effort to get Carter to agree to marry him (it wasn't that hard in real life, according to a recent biography of Cash written by Robert Hilburn). Ultimately, for me, the question is, did the film draw you in and make you forget that you were watching an actor portray an icon? The answer, for me, was no. (The film has English subtitles for the hard of hearing, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B-