By By Michael Hollander

Walk The Line, starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter, is a spectacular biopic in which the stars truly commit themselves to their characters. Their hard work results in a remarkable film which pays homage to the two legendary country stars.

The film starts with Johnny Cash performing his world-famous 1968 Folsom Prison concert and then quickly shifts to his early childhood. Cash, or J.R., was one of two sons living on a small farm with a drunk for a father who repeatedly beat them. In 1944, his brother was tragically killed in an accident while operating a whirring table saw. It took him a week to die and this profoundly affected Cash for the rest of his life. His religious convictions later in life were influenced by his brother, who told Cash that he saw angels before he succumbed to his death.

Phoenix portray’s Cash’s rish from a poor farm boy to a mega country star. Phoenix shows how Cash found his original sound while strumming on his guitar as a solider in the Air Force.

After his stint in the military, Cash marries his sweetheart, Vivian, and fathers two girls, but money woes quickly bring an end to the matrimonial bliss.

Cash meets Carter on tour following his first record deal. With Carter divorced and Cash in an unhappy marriage, there is immediate chemistry between the two. Their careers entwine and they find that the attraction grows to love. Their relationship is rocky, as Cash is insensitive towards Carter’s feelings. In turn, Carter cannot help but feel she would ruin Cash’s shaky marriage.

Cash’s infatuation with his fellow singer grows to epic proportions. He hangs up pictures of her right in front of his wife. After a tense scene, his wife and two daughters pack up and leave. Thankfully, Carter is there to help him pick up the pieces of his life and put them back together. Cash may have loved Carter before, but now he truly appreciates her. It takes quite a few proposals, but over a decade after their first fateful meeting, Cash and Carter finally marry.

Walk The Line places a strong emphasis on Cash’s dependency on drugs. He grows addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates. The viewer can see the transformation of Cash’s persona as the drugs begin to take over his life. He goes from being a sensitive and kind individual who is highly aware of his surroundings, to a bitter, vengeful and sardonic man. Carter is the unfortunate victim of most of his hate-filled episodes. Despite this, she is the one who helps him out of his drug-induced hell and gets him to kick the habit.

The single most noteworthy aspect of the movie is that Phoenix and Witherspoon did not lip-sync during any of the scenes. In fact, they each took six months of singing lessons to reach the quality expected of a faux Cash and Carter. Phoenix took guitar lessons and even learned how to walk the way Cash did in real life. Witherspoon also was taught how to use the auto-harp through a series of lessons.

Walk The Line is a spectacular movie and a great example of how dedicated actors can be to accurately portraying a character. The movie is truly a modern masterpiece. Prospective audiences shouldn’t be put off by its country appeal. Walk The Line is an excellent film that will entertain any who pay the ticket price.

Final Grade: A-