Walk the Line

There are some major movie miracles happening in Walk the Line, a highly entertaining biopic of the late Johnny and June Carter Cash. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are incredible, capturing the spirit of Johnny and June on and off the stage without mimicking them. Their performances go right alongside Sissy Spacek as Loretta Lynn and Gary Busey as Buddy Holly, making their portrayals of music stars among the best in cinema history. Phoenix lays it all out here, with a raw performance that accurately mirrors Cash in his early years. He performs all of the songs himself, as does Witherspoon, who gets her chance to show what she’s really made of in her best performance to date. There are a few cookie-cutter moments, but they don’t diminish the film. Phoenix and Witherspoon better get Oscar nominations for their work. What they have done here is historic.