“Walk the Line” by Jason Callan 

The Man in Black, “Walk the Line” (directed by James Mangold of buzz worthy “Girl-Interrupted” that unleashed Angelina Jolie on the world and that turd of a movie “Copland”) is the story of Country legend Johnny Cash and his meteoric rise to fame and blossoming love with June Carter.  The film traces the early portion of Cash’s career from age 10 through his tortured childhood, rise to fame, drug addiction, hitting rock bottom and redemption (can you say every episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music”?).  The film is far more than that and vastly exceeded my expectations, especially considering my deep and unsettling hatred for musicals. 

Johnny Cash is not merely portrayed but channeled by Joaquin Phoenix (of “SpaceCamp” and being the brother of that River guy who o’ded fame).  I am sure hoping to catch the up swell of fame, fortune, and the best actor Oscar snagged by Jamie Foxx for “Ray”, Phoenix completely immerses himself in the portrayal including 6 months of vocal training with the legendary T-Bone Burnett and adeptly sings every song featured in the film.  The voice, gyrations, and stage presence are a striking portrayal of Cash who was known more for not sounding like anyone else than being a tremendous talent.  Unlike “Ray” which tagged on musical performance to showcase Jamie Foxx’s unbelievable impersonation of Ray Charles while adding nothing to the plot, the music sequences in Walk the Line are integral to the story as we get to really see the growth of this man as a musician and the attraction of fame and notoriety and how it effects the person.  Phoenix may fall short of the statue this year as he may have been overshadowed by his co-star. 

Reese Witherspoon of “Legally Blonde” fame (a movie about who Paris Hilton could have been if she had 1/8 of a brain) plays June Carter and may have stolen the show from Phoenix. It would have been easy to portray June as the hillbilly bumpkin she played on stage and written her off as a minor character, but Witherspoon does not allow that to happen.  Her performances on stage are particularly well done, and the duets with Phoenix really showcase the chemistry between these two actors that really makes you believe in this love story.  When you couple that with the intensity she portrayed in June’s tortured relationships and the pressures of living in an entertainment family, Reese deserves serious Oscar consideration for her performance. 

Walk the Line lived up to the Oscar hype, and should win some kudos before the evening is over, and it’s not just because they aren’t lip-synching, big fucking deal that doesn’t make a great film.  It’s a great story with memorable performances, and even if you don’t enjoy both types of music, country & western, take the time to step into this ring of fire.