Walk the Line (2005)

Photo: 20th Century Studios

❝ Hello, I’m Johnny Cash. ❞

At first glance, James Mangold’s Walk the Line seems to be the typical average biopic. And being honest, it is. But what makes it stand out from the genre is the brilliant performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon as one of country’s most beloved couples, Johnny Cash and June Carter. 

Both Phoenix and Witherspoon give it their all in this film, and their Academy Award nominations — although Witherspoon’s Best Actress win is debatable— were not for nothing. Phoenix nails Johnny Cash’s mannerisms to a T, down to the iconic shotgun-guitar move he used to grace audiences with on stage. Even his voice covers the jagged edge that gave way to Johnny’s signature sound. 

But what I really enjoyed was how Mangold and Witherspoon handled the portrayal of June Carter Cash. Mangold handles her with care, setting her up like a pretty porcelain doll with a voice like honey, hiding her behind the old radio Johnny and his brother used to listen to as kids. Even the red dress she wears when Johnny first sees her at the Texarkana performance fits perfectly. A jukebox angel in the middle of a hillbilly hoedown. But it’s not until she gets her dress stuck in Johnny’s guitar strap that we see Witherspoon really bring out her fire. We see her crack jokes, but also sympathize with Johnny’s feelings about stardom. We see her help him with his addiction, but also call him out on it without wavering once. We see her fall for him, the joy of singing together onstage but the pain of dealing with him behind the curtain.

I’m glad it didn’t shy away from Johnny’s darker issues either; the arrests, the infidelity, his strained relationship with his families. Each one didn’t feel glossed over, and we got to see how it impacted everyone involved, not just Johnny Cash himself. 

Cute cameos from other stars like Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis keep the film grounded but also strengthen the feel of how monumental that time in music was. You can tell Mangold really cares about telling the story, and it makes me excited to see what he’ll do with Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown. 

Like other Mangold works, Walk the Line deals with a conflicted man hurt by his past and fear of the future and what it brings; may it be success, love, or peace of mind. It is a story of triumph and how love conquers all; a decent biopic with genuine performances and a meaningful insight into the highs and the lows of the life of the Man in Black.