Film Comment
"Witherspoon's bubbly twang brings the brassy former child country star and future Mrs. Cash into adorable reality." 11/01/2005 p.74Movieline's Hollywood Life
"Phoenix is commanding, and Witherspoon is just plain sensational; she captures June's sassiness along with her levelheadedness....WALK THE LINE turns out to be an entertaining ride through musical history, flavored with a sweet romantic spirit." 11/01/2005 p.100-102 Entertainment Weekly
"[A] big, juicy, enjoyable wide-canvas biography with a handful of indelible moments....WALK THE LINE is zesty and satisfying." 11/25/2005 p.75 Rolling Stone
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "There is something really special going on in WALK THE LINE....Phoenix and Witherspoon are dynamite, and their chemistry is palpable." 12/01/2005 p.135 Premiere
3 stars out of 4 -- "[With a] very clear respect for Cash and his music...[and] two superb, heartfelt performances..." 12/01/2005 p.57-58 New York Times
"Cash and Carter's long infatuation, tumultuous relationship and eventual marriage provide the film with an emotional core." 11/18/2005 p.E1 USA Today
"WALK THE LINE goes from compelling to enthralling with star Joaquin Phoenix's breakout scene. His re-creation of 'Get Rhythm' is an exhilarating moment, with showmanship that truly surprises." 11/23/2005 p.7D Sight and Sound
"Phoenix handles the transition from faltering baritone to growling basso profundo brilliantly, his voice dropping deep into his boots as Johnny's soul descends into the ring of fire." 02/01/2006 p.83-84 Total Film
4 stars out of 5 -- "It's a career-high channelling of the myth, the voice....Witherspoon nails Carter as a spritely, sun-tickled puppy-dog with the soul of a poet..." 06/01/2006 p.110-112 Ultimate DVD
5 stars out of 5 -- "James Mangold's stunning biopic of Johnny Cash showcases a mesmerizing central performance from Joaquin Phoenix..." 05/01/2008 p.94 ReelViews 8 of 10
When I spoke to Roger Ebert shortly before first seeing Walk the Line, he remarked that he knew almost all of Johnny Cash's songs by heart. I cannot make the same claim. I'm familiar with a few of them - mostly those that got radio play - but many of the titles in his catalogue are unknown to me. That didn't impinge upon my ability to enjoy Walk the Line, but the statement is necessary to explain my background. Cash devotees may have a different reaction to this picture. In fact, although I liked it, my bet is that they will love it...During the course of the picture, someone describes Johnny's voice as being "steady like a train, sharp like a razor." That sounds to me like a fitting description of Walk the Line, as well. - James Berardinelli
Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Johnny Cash sang like he meant business. He didn't get fancy and he didn't send his voice on missions it could not complete, but there was an urgency in his best songs that pounded them home. When he sang something, it stayed sung. James Mangold's "Walk the Line," with its dead-on performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon, helps you understand that quality...The movie fudges some on the facts, but I was surprised to learn that Cash actually did propose marriage to Carter onstage during a concert; it feels like the sort of scene screenwriters invent, but no. Other scenes are compressed or fictionalized, as they must be, and I would have liked more screen time for the other outlaws, including Waylon and Willie. Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis make brief excursions through the plot, but essentially this is the story of John and June and a lot of great music. And essentially that's the story we want. - Roger Ebert
| 
