A story of one man's rise, fall, redemption, and love

Rating: 9/10 (27 January 2006)

****CONTAINS SPOILERS****
A true story of one man's rise, fall, and redemption in a story that touches the heart and moves you. This man was Johnny Cash and the one that helped redeem him was his true love June Carter.
Joaquin Phoenix plays Johnny Cash, a man with dreams of writing and singing music despite his father's criticism and his wife's lack of support. Johnny's life was shattered at the age of 12 when his beloved brother, Jack, died in a table saw accident yet he continued on. He eventually started his career off nicely, touring with rising stars Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis and it's here that he meets singer June Carter played by Reese Witherspoon. Johnny is immediately attracted to her but June isn't interested in a relationship because of her bitter divorce and his marriage even though Johnny isn't in love with his wife anymore.
Despite having bad setbacks Johnny and June sing together and go on tour in the 60s but Johnny's involvement with drugs causes his downfall and the end of his marriage to his wife, Vivian. June stays by his side and helps him overcome his addiction to pills and Johnny's career is back on top after he makes a live album at Folsom Prison. Johnny continually asks June to marry him but refuses him every time because of her two divorces and that he hurt her with his addictions and lies. Yet deep down she loves the man but refuses to admit it. But when he proposes for the last time on stage in a concert Johnny's words of his love, devotion, and promises to not hurt her again, June finally says yes.
Walk the Line is a brilliant masterpiece that captures the late Johnny Cash's early years perfectly from his rise, fall, and redemption. But the heart of the story is the love and devotion between Johnny and June and how they come together and stay together for 35 years till June's death and later Johnny's.
Joaquin Phoenix is brilliant as the late country singer whose addictions led to his downfall but how June's support and caring led to his redemption and Reese Witherspoon is brilliant as the late country singer June Carter who helped Johnny in his time of need despite how he hurt her with his addiction and lies but soon came to love him. My dad says that sometimes it takes a strong person to get someone out of their destruction and that is what we see here between June and Johnny.
This is a great movie and should be watched by all fans or no fans of Johnny Cash.