Walk the Line (2005)

Synopsis of Walk the Line

James Mangold's Walk the Line tells the life story of country music legend Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoenix), focusing primarily on the long courtship he had with June Carter (Reese Witherspoon). The film is structured as an extended flashback opening with Cash readying to take the stage at his historic Folsom Prison Concert. The film touches on his childhood, relating a horrific early incident from his life and establishing the troubled relationship he would have with his father (Robert Patrick). Cash joins the military and leaves home. During his time in the armed services he begins writing songs and romances a hometown girl (Ginnifer Goodwin). After the end of his duty he settles down and attempts to begin a music career, but his wife has trouble adjusting to his dreams. Cash auditions for Sam Phillips (Dallas Roberts), signs to Sun Records, and soon finds himself on tour with a roster of young soon-to-be legends that includes Elvis Presley (Tyler Hilton) and Jerry Lee Lewis (Waylon Malloy Payne). On this tour he meets June Carter, the daughter of the famous Carter family, and they take a liking to each other, although she refuses any serious advances from him. Cash gains world-wide fame thanks in part to the inspiration he gets from June, but eventually his marriage crumbles and he develops a serious drug addiction. The film is based on Cash's autobiographies. Phoenix and Witherspoon performed all of their own singing in the movie, just as Sissy Spacek and Beverly D'Angelo did in Coal Miner's Daughter a quarter-century before. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Theatrical Feature Running Time:

135 mins

Director(s):

James Mangold

Writer(s):

Gill Dennis, James Mangold

Producer(s):

James Keach, Cathy Konrad

Theatrical MPAA Rating:

PG13(Adult Situations, Adult Language, Substance Abuse, Mild Violence)

Categories:

Romance

• 2005 - Boston Society of Film Critics - Best Actress
• 2005 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Actress
• 2005 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Sound
• 2005 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Sound
• 2005 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Sound
• 2005 - British Academy of Film and Television Arts - Best Sound
• 2005 - Broadcast Film Critics Association - Best Actress
• 2005 - Golden Globe - Best Picture - Musical or Comedy
• 2005 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Picture - Musical or Comedy
• 2005 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• 2005 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• 2005 - Las Vegas Film Critics Association - Best Actress
• 2005 - National Society of Film Critics - Best Actress
• 2005 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Actress
• 2005 - Online Film Critics Association - Best Actress
• 2005 - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Top Ten Film of the Year
• 2005 - Phoenix Film Critics Association - Best Use of Previously Published or Recorded Music
• 2005 - San Francisco Film Critics Circle - Best Actress
• 2005 - Screen Actors Guild - Best Actress

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