Oscar-caliber performances in this truthful telling of Johnny Cash's early life

Rating: 10/10 (26 November 2005)

Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give incredible portrayals of the early Johnny Cash and June Carter in this effort of James Mangold ("Girl, Interrupted"). The film chronicles the early career of Cash and his life, marred by thoughts of guilt over the death of his older brother (a topic expressly probed in 1980's "Ordinary People"). Phoenix truly embodies The Man In Black's persona as a young man (in an Academy Award worthy role) , and Witherspoon completely sheds her persona of being a sweet-natured good girl (a la "Legally Blonde" and "Sweet Home Alabama") with a mature, Oscar-worthy performance of June Carter, and her solo on the autoharp is worthy of a nomination itself. Phoenix captures all of Cash's early demons, from his first marriage to Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin), to his historical meeting with Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts), to his notoriously volatile courtship of June and their engagement in 1968, the same year of Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues" in concert. This film is definitely a must-see. Give these roles a thorough look-see and extreme consideration come Awards time. ***1/2 of ****