Not a great movie

Rating: 3/10 (22 November 2005)

SPOILER ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF THE MOVIE!! Walk the Line started out great, with Cash getting ready to perform in Folsom Prison and a palpable sense of growing excitement. Unfortunately, this was the climax of the movie.
Reese Witherspoon shines every time she's on screen. She oozes charisma. Some have complained about her singing, but I thought she was fine. Then again, I'm not a June Carter fan. Unfortunately, while Joaquin Phoenix did a great cardboard cutout of Cash, aping the looks and the moves, he has none of the charisma. He has no spark. The actor who played Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Payne) blew Phoenix off the stage and the screen.
Overlooked in all the undeserved hype about Joaquin Phoenix were excellent jobs by Shelby Lynne as Cash's mom and Robert Patrick as his Dad. Especially impressive was Lynne. She did more simply with a look than all of Phoenix's hysterics combined.
Ginnifer Goodwin also turned in a great performance as Vivian Cash, Johnny's first wife.
Walk the Line was not a bad movie. It's just easily forgettable, boring, and joyless.