outstanding film, well-directed, and perfectly acted by Witherspoon and Phoenix

Rating: 9/10 (2 October 2006)

James Mangold takes us through a basically true story (although there may be some exaggerations to make the film work) of Cash as he sees success, drug addiction and loses himself followed by the will to overcome his weaknesses. He needs and relies on the love and strength of June Carter throughout the movie. He asks Carter (Witherspoon) to marry him "40 times". And when she tells him the only time he can talk to her is on stage, Cash uses that opportunity to propose and what we get in that scene is a most heartfelt, believable performance with Witherspoon and Phoenix at their best.
This is a movie that would have probably done okay without Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix. But what they do alone and more importantly in their scenes together is about as good as acting gets. There is something very special about Reese Witherspoon that is rarely seen on the big screen. She may be the best actress in the business right now. And Joaquin Phoenix is spectacular, as well.
In a year of 8-10 excellent movies, "Crash" and "Walk the Line" have the lasting power. The scenes keep coming back around again and again long after you have left the theater. I know Reese Witherspoon won the Academy Award for Best Actress as well as nearly every other Best Actress Award offered for her performance. And Joaquin Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor by the Academy Awards and actually won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
I highly recommend this movie to all adults. It is entertaining, historical, and perfectly acted.