I ignored country music while I was growing up. In the 1960s, I was more tuned in to the "Age of Aquarius" and psychedelics than "Folsom Prison Blues" and amphetamines. It wasn't until I reached 30-something that I started to appreciate the soulfulness of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and, of course, "the man in black," Johnny Cash. So the time period of this biopic, from Cash's youth in Arkansas during WWII to his marriage to June Carter in 1968, covered new ground for me, including his first marriage, his touring with Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison, and his severe addiction to prescription drugs.

Joaquin Phoenix put in an Academy Award level performance as Cash, but it was Reese Witherspoon…

Biopics are one of my favorite genres of films. However unless you get just the right actor to play the person, it can be dead in the water before it even gets going. James Mangold did exactly that when he handed Joaquin Phoenix the role of a lifetime as legendary singer Johnnie Cash.
This musical biopic of one of country musics most enduring performers begins with the story of a young boy who grows into a man full of guilt, anger, and sorrow, before his redemption and the love of his life leads him to greatness. Cash's early life of hardship in Arkansas and his strained relationship with his father seem to have damaged his psyche and self esteem. Constantly…

Review In A Nutshell:

Walk the Line suffers from the tradition of the biopic genre that ultimately leaves its viewers unchallenged by the already fascinating subject matter; desperate in its attempts to highlight a relationship that was critical to Johnny Cash’s personal life, it fails to captivate nor educate its viewers, making one wonder whether if its focus was instead placed on the shaping of his distinct sound and his relationship with his acclaim would have led to a stronger film. Moments like his much anticipated performance at Folsom Prison left me chilled and reignited my attraction to this legend’s music, unfortunately the film barely contain such moments as though its extended musical pieces would indulgently embrace the legend’s greatest…

What does an actor have to do to be considered one of the greats. I would argue Joaquin Phoenix's body of work speaks for itself, and here in the Johnny Cash biopic he once again delivers. James Mangold directs an often conventional biopic, but the scenes between Johnny Cash and June Carter keep the pace up.

The film begins with Cash as a farmer with his brother Jack. It is clear to his father that Jack is his favorite as J.R (Johnny Cash) sticks to fishing and listening to the radio while Jack devoted his time to working in the fields and reading Scripture. One day, left alone Jack is accidentally killed and John is left to bear the brunt…

This 2005 American biographical drama, based on the early life and career of singer Johnny Cash, is directed by James Mangold and stars Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Larry Badby, Tyler Hilton and Dallas Roberts.

Folsom State Prison, California, 1968. Country singer Johnny Cash (Phoenix) and his band, including singer June Carter (Witherspoon), wait backstage to perform in front of the in-mates for a special live show. Johnny sits in front of a carpentry saw and it takes him back to his early years.

After the death of his older brother Jack (Lucas Till) in an accident involving such a saw, the Cash family is never the same again. Johnny serves in the army and takes odd…