A mediocre piece of work

Rating: 5/10 (26 November 2005)

First of all, this is coming from a true Johnny Cash fan, not someone who went to see it just because of the hype. I've read both Walk the Line, and his autobiography, so I feel I have a good knowledge of how his life was.
In my opinion it almost glorified the troubled times of his life. It made it look like his addictions only lasted a few months, but in reality it lasted for years. The movie also COMPLETELY skipped over his involvement with The Highwaymen (Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Jones, Kris Kristopherson, etc), which, was a major part of his life. I think it could have went into a little more depth with his and first wife's troubles, it just kind of glided over his problems. Though much of the movie was based about his drug habit, it made it look less than it was.
I also think, they could have picked a different actor to play Johnny Cash. Pheonix was good, but he just didn't quite put out that Johnny Cash vibe that you get from watching old recordings of him.
All that aside, the movie WAS entertaining, and it was well worth the 8 bucks to see it. But if you are a true fan of Johnny Cash, you may see some flaws and gaps in it.
I recommend this movie for everyone, unless you are a die-hard fan, you may be let down.