Romance done right!

Rating: 8/10 (19 March 2006)

I have to say, up there with Leaving Las Vegas, Annie Hall and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this is one of my very most favorite romantic movies -- and it has the added uniqueness of having a happy ending.
That said, the movie is still primarily about the rise and near-fall of Johnny Cash, and while very sympathetic to the man, by no means paints the portrait of a saint. In fact, that June Carter sticks with him through all that she does for as long as she does might have stretched my credulity had this not of course been based on true events. Here some more background on June might have served to flesh out the dynamics of the romance, but Reese Witherspoon does indeed do a superb job of selling June's character as the sympathetic mooring that keeps Cash from drifting to the point of no return; because of her performance, the story works. And while she would seem to have earned her Oscar for this role, I do find it a bit ironic that Joaquin Phoenix was passed over of the two of them, as he has more material to work with, and delivers without flaw, singing and all. (According to IMDb, the two actors were each blessed by their real life counterparts before their passing in 2003.) Another key role in the movie is also played very well by Shelby Lynne as Cash's first wife, Carrie. Although her character, like Witherspoon's, is more reactive than fleshed-out, she is convincing as a 50s woman finding herself unexpectedly surrendering bit by bit her dreams of the ideal mid-century American lifestyle to her husband's ambitions and eventual physical and emotional philandering until she is stretched to the breaking point when he brings a symbol of the latter into their home. Rounding out the key characters is Cash's father, Ray (Robert Patrick), against whose deeply-set disapproval Cash is constantly straining against.
Along the way are gorgeous sets, stunning costumes, and plenty of some of the very best music Americana has ever had to offer. Ultimately, here is a film that is larger than life because it needs to be in order to accommodate its subjects.