Walk The Line (Widescreen-Dts) (2005) - Oscar® Winner!

"...superbly combines music and two of the year's most riveting performances...  Lou Lumenick, New York Post
"...equally packed with music and frustrated love...goes from compelling to enthralling.  Mike Clark, USA Today
"A big, juicy, enjoyable wide-canvas biography with a handful of indelible moments.  Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
"...[Witherspoon's] portrayal of June is astounding in its vitality and richness.  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Editor's Note Primarily the story of the love that grew between country stars Johnny Cash and June Carter during the early years of Cash's career, WALK THE LINE is the result of intense collaboration between director James Mangold, co-writer Gill Dennis, Johnny Cash, and June Carter Cash. Though both Cashes died in 2003, they oversaw the script's development for seven years. Mangold and Cash's insistence that the film's stars would actually sing paid off. Witherspoon's singing (as June) is lovely, and Phoenix's contains the raw energy and soul that defined Cash's sound. Even as a child on a cotton farm in Depression-era Arkansas, Cash shows a strong interest in music, escaping from his no-frills life and strict father (Robert Patrick) through hymns and listening to the radio. When his brother dies in a freak accident, young Johnny feels responsible, and worries that he will never live up to his brother's goodness. The film follows Cash through his first marriage with Vivian Cash (Ginnifer Goodwin) and into the early stages of his touring career alongside such musicians as Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley, and most importantly, June Carter. As Cash's success grows, so does his relationship with drugs, alcohol, and Carter, putting a strain upon his family life. From his initial audition with Sam Phillips of Sun Records on through his legendary 1968 concert at Folsom Prison, Cash is transformed from a hesitant singer riddled with demons to a man whose uniquely bold style would make music history. WALK THE LINE never attempts to paint a full picture of Cash's prolific career, but instead focuses on the passions that drove his music and on the woman who gave him strength. With magical performances by Witherspoon and Phoenix, a haunting and inspiring American romance is brought beautifully to life.

	Robert Patrick
	Shelby Lynn
	Ridge Canipe
	Dan Beene
	Tyler Hilton
	Waylon Payne
	Reese Witherspoon
	Joaquin Phoenix
	Sandra Ellis Lafferty
	Jonathan Rice
	Ginnifer Goodwin
	Shooter Jennings
	Dallas Roberts
	T-Bone Burnett - Composer
	Gill Dennis - Screenwriter
	James Keach - Producer
	Kathy Conrad - Producer
	James Mangold - Director

Film Comment
"Witherspoon's bubbly twang brings the brassy former child country star and future Mrs. Cash into adorable reality." 11/01/2005 p.74

Movieline's Hollywood Life
"Phoenix is commanding, and Witherspoon is just plain sensational; she captures June's sassiness along with her levelheadedness....WALK THE LINE turns out to be an entertaining ride through musical history, flavored with a sweet romantic spirit." 11/01/2005 p.100-102

Entertainment Weekly
"[A] big, juicy, enjoyable wide-canvas biography with a handful of indelible moments....WALK THE LINE is zesty and satisfying." 11/25/2005 p.75

Rolling Stone
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "There is something really special going on in WALK THE LINE....Phoenix and Witherspoon are dynamite, and their chemistry is palpable." 12/01/2005 p.135

Premiere
3 stars out of 4 -- "[With a] very clear respect for Cash and his music...[and] two superb, heartfelt performances..." 12/01/2005 p.57-58

New York Times
"Cash and Carter's long infatuation, tumultuous relationship and eventual marriage provide the film with an emotional core." 11/18/2005 p.E1

USA Today
"WALK THE LINE goes from compelling to enthralling with star Joaquin Phoenix's breakout scene. His re-creation of 'Get Rhythm' is an exhilarating moment, with showmanship that truly surprises." 11/23/2005 p.7D

Sight and Sound
"Phoenix handles the transition from faltering baritone to growling basso profundo brilliantly, his voice dropping deep into his boots as Johnny's soul descends into the ring of fire." 02/01/2006 p.83-84

Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's a career-high channelling of the myth, the voice....Witherspoon nails Carter as a spritely, sun-tickled puppy-dog with the soul of a poet..." 06/01/2006 p.110-112

Ultimate DVD
5 stars out of 5 -- "James Mangold's stunning biopic of Johnny Cash showcases a mesmerizing central performance from Joaquin Phoenix..." 05/01/2008 p.94

Wall Street Journal
"Reese Witherspoon won an Oscar for her performance as June Carter....Her work as Cash's beloved wife is still startling for its humor, verve and intelligence." 12/17/2010

ReelViews 8 of 10
When I spoke to Roger Ebert shortly before first seeing Walk the Line, he remarked that he knew almost all of Johnny Cash's songs by heart. I cannot make the same claim. I'm familiar with a few of them - mostly those that got radio play - but many of the titles in his catalogue are unknown to me. That didn't impinge upon my ability to enjoy Walk the Line, but the statement is necessary to explain my background. Cash devotees may have a different reaction to this picture. In fact, although I liked it, my bet is that they will love it...During the course of the picture, someone describes Johnny's voice as being "steady like a train, sharp like a razor." That sounds to me like a fitting description of Walk the Line, as well. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Johnny Cash sang like he meant business. He didn't get fancy and he didn't send his voice on missions it could not complete, but there was an urgency in his best songs that pounded them home. When he sang something, it stayed sung. James Mangold's "Walk the Line," with its dead-on performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, helps you understand that quality...The movie fudges some on the facts, but I was surprised to learn that Cash actually did propose marriage to Carter onstage during a concert; it feels like the sort of scene screenwriters invent, but no. Other scenes are compressed or fictionalized, as they must be, and I would have liked more screen time for the other outlaws, including Waylon and Willie. Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis make brief excursions through the plot, but essentially this is the story of John and June and a lot of great music. And essentially that's the story we want. - Roger Ebert