Reviews by Matt

Walk the Line.

I know it’s not a new movie, and I know it just came out on DVD. That’s what sparked this, I got Walk the Line on DVD today and watched it. I have been waiting to do this since I left the theater after watching it the first time. It is an amazing movie.

The movie starts off just before Johnny Cash (played to perfection by Joaquin Phoenix) goes on stage for his famous concert at Folsom prison. It is after a brief look at Cash that the movie flashes back to his childhood and the beginnings of his career. We see Cash audition for Sam Phillips, and fail at first. Phillips tells him to play “one song to tell God of what you thought of your time on this Earth” and Cash responds with Folsom Prison Blues.

The two performances of note are Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon (June Cater Cash.) It has been reported that Cash himself choose Phoenix for the role (talk about pressure) Witherspoon is given a chance to show her ‘chops’ as an actress. Her previous roles have had none of the challenge of this one. She is up for an Oscar and she should win.

More then music, this is a story about redemption. Cash hit a low point when his drug habit got really bad. It was only through the love of June that he was able to kick the habit and get clean. It was because of her and the strength she gave him, he was able to get back on top again.

The movie ends of a high note, months after the Folsom prison concert. After multiple times, Cash asks June one last time to merry him, live on stage. “I’ve asked you 40 different times and 40 different ways. It’s time for you to come up with a new answer” he says. As we all know, she said yes and they stayed married until the 2 died in 2003 (John 4 months after June).

This is a fantastic movie and is easily one of my favorites of all time. The music, the performances and the over all story are amazing and is sure to win a few Oscars this Sunday.

PG-13 for some language, thematic material and depiction of drug dependency.