Walk the Line poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick, Dallas Roberts ... see more see more... , Dan John Miller , Larry Bagby III , Shelby Lynne , Tyler Hilton , Waylon Payne , Shooter Jennings , Natalie Canerday , Rhoda Griffis , Sandra Ellis Lafferty , James Keach , Jeff Bailey , Tim Ware , Bob King , Al Gardner , J. Alan Scott , Danny Beene , J.D. Evermore , Hailey Anne Nelson , James DeForest Parker , Lucas Till , Deborah Rawlings , Johnny Holiday , Clay Steakley , Ridge Canipe , Dolan Wilson , Kerris Dorsey , Johnathan Rice , Carly Nahon , McGhee Monteith , Wyatt Entrein , Delaney Marie Keefe , Victoria Hester , Davielle Boyce , Danny Vinson , Dave McPhail , Ross Harkins , Helen Ingebritsen , J.W. Williams , Shane Bowen , Clare Johnson , Michael Ingersoll , Carter Thrower , Jean-Paul McNeely , Brian Deas , Glenda Pannell , Amy Kudela , Tracee Miller , Larry Bagby

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... read more read more... 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

Flixster Users

86% liked it

514,629 ratings

Critics

82% liked it

202 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 16 min.

Directed by: James Mangold

Release Date: November 18, 2005

Keywords: average, biography

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: February 28, 2006

Get It:

Stats: 40,556 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Walk the Line Reese Witherspoon Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk The Line Walk the Line Walk The Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Walk the Line Love is a burning thing. Walk the Line Walk The Line
Upload a Photo | View All Walk the Line Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (40,556)

  • fb1664868775
    March 25, 2012
    fb1664868775
    Better than most biopics and superbly acted by the leads.
  • jamers2011
    February 25, 2012
    jamers2011
    Roger Ebert said this about the film and I completely agree with him: "The music is great, the drama is great, the writing is great, the performances are great, I love it!"

    Joaquin Phoenix gives a brilliant performance as Johnny Cash, and Reese Witherspoon gives the performance... read more of her career! She completely deserved her Oscar.
  • imrealgod
    January 13, 2012
    imrealgod
    Musicals are not my cup of tea, but I decided to give it a go for it's based on real life. As expected, the movie turned out to be a disappointment. Thanks to my holy ignorance, I'd not heard of the protagonist ever before, but his story seemed familiar. It was like watching a mo... read moredern version of Devdas. Only that this one has a happy ending. [I grant you the permission to differ for now.] Having said all that, it's still watchable with one finger on the fast-forward button.
  • fb729949618
    August 5, 2011
    fb729949618
    Knew nothing about Johnny Cash going into this movie, and left feeling like i've been a fan all my life. Strong movie and definitely worth watching.
  • murphmann93
    June 23, 2011
    murphmann93
    Reese Witherspoon makes an excellent June Carter!
  • LoughnerWasLucid
    April 20, 2011
    LoughnerWasLucid
    I hate to say that Reese Witherspoon is not in this movie for nearly as long as you think she is. so mash your fucking face shut please. "WRONNNG KID DIED!"
  • ythelastman89
    March 3, 2011
    ythelastman89
    The only thing wrong with Walk The Line is that it's too short, which isn't really a bad thing in the end. It's more of a compliment that I wanted to see a few more hours of Johnny Cash's life, it's just so interesting and beautiful. He's someone with such a huge legacy and full ... read morelife, that I guess it's sort of impossible to make a film adaption that's truly complete. Joaquin Phoenix gives such a great performance that it's hard to tell the difference. Not only does he look and sound like him almost exactly, but he has the charisma of him too. Most music biopics have some decent cover songs, but in some cases, the delivery of the songs in this are many times better to me than their original counterparts (not that I mean any disrespect). I think it's great the way they achieved the time periods without having to overdo everything. What this gets down right is the soul and passion behind the music, so in that respect it's pretty perfect.
  • DreamExtractor
    February 26, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    A work of art, it perfectly details the life of Johnny Cash, but doesn't bring us to where his stories that happened after he got off drugs.
  • FrizzDrop
    December 9, 2010
    FrizzDrop
    Biopics, however harrowing and heartfelt, are not always made with the greatest of care. Walk the Line plagues us with Cash's unruly nature, his addiction, his romancing of June Carter, which is both tumultuous and hurts to watch. Unlike many films I have seen covering this sort ... read moreof subject, there is a fair amount of decency in Phoenix's performance and the truthfulness of the plot, unlike many exploitative films available.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    December 4, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    A phenomenal biopic on the life of famed musician Johnny Cash. A very well crafted film from James Mangold, Walk The Line tells the story of Johnny Cash rise to fame from his childhood to his marriage to June Carter. Walk The Line is a near flawless film that will surely become ... read morea classic over time. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give astounding performances and they have amazing chemistry on screen. One thing thats worth mentioning is that they actually sing the songs originally sung by June Carter and Johnny Cash, and they pull it off amazingly well. Not since Val Kilmer's performance as Jim Morrison in The Doors has an actor or actress been able to deliver such an intense performance of a musician. Both performances are amazing and are some of the best ever delivered. As far as Biopics are concerned, there is nothing really new here to be had, it follows practically the same path as many other biopics of musicians. But the thing that separates this film over the standard biopics is the performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. They deliver simply flawless performances. The film is of course sad, dramatic and at times funny, and the soundtrack is excellent. Viewing this film opened by mind to Johnny Cash, and I therefore respect him more as a musician. I am a metalhead, and I can honestly say that Johnny Cash is one of the most impressive and talented musicians that ever lived. Walk The Line introduced me to Cash's music, and I was very impressed with the film and the music. Walk The Line may very well introduce you to Cash's life, but also it has the power to introduce to his brand of bluegrass, Blues and Country style of music. Walk The Line is a superbly crafted biopic, one of the best that I have ever viewed and after you watch it, you'll realize why this is a top notch film. Strong performances and a great soundtrack with terrific directing make Walk The Line a superb work of drama about one of the greatest musicians to ever grace the stage.

View All Walk the Line Reviews

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris
January 5, 2006
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

I advise you catch up with Walk the Line, if only for Ms. Witherspoon's transcendent joyousness as a still-growing legend within a legend. Full Review

Jack Mathews
December 6, 2005
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News

Mangold was wisely generous with the amount of musical performance he included in the film, and the later scenes -- showing Cash and Carter as partners -- are so well shot and edited, they defy you to... Full Review

Stephanie Zacharek
November 18, 2005
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

If Walk the Line isn't the full story of Johnny Cash, it's at least a crucial corner of it, a way of coaxing a legend down to a human scale, without shrinking that legend away to nothingness. Full Review

Mike Clark
November 18, 2005
Mike Clark, USA Today

A Johnny Cash biopic equally packed with music and frustrated love, Walk the Line goes from compelling to enthralling. Full Review

Richard Corliss
November 18, 2005
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

[Director] James Mangold's mostly excellent Walk the Line is designed as a Christian epic. Full Review

Amy Biancolli
November 18, 2005
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Joaquin Phoenix isn't Johnny Cash. But with the clip-clop of rhythms behind him, aiming his guitar like a gun, he puts on one sensational show. Full Review

Liam Lacey
November 18, 2005
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

The problem is that the movie plays down almost everything that made Cash great: the train rumble of a voice, the direct, poetic truth of his best lyrics, the invention of his outlaw image and his con... Full Review

Mick LaSalle
November 18, 2005
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

A passionate, warts-and-all chronicle of an extraordinary American artist, not to mention a love story that can't be beat. Full Review

Tom Long
November 18, 2005
Tom Long, Detroit News

Walk the Line is absolute standard biopic stuff, so familiar that it blatantly echoes last year's Ray, which similarly failed to do justice to the legendary Ray Charles.

Steven Rea
November 18, 2005
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

It's a celebration of the good times and bad times shared by a man and woman who found each other in the middle of some historic craziness, and it rocks.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Ray
    Ray (80%)
  • Crazy Heart
    Crazy Heart (97%)
  • I'm Not There
    I'm Not There (92%)
  • De-Lovely
    De-Lovely (41%)

More Movies like Walk the Line

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Jerry Lee Lewis: God gave us a great big apple, see, and He said don't touch it. He didn't say touch it once in a while; He didn't say take a nibble when you're hungry; He said don't touch it! Don't think about touchin' it, don't sing about touchin' it, don't *think* about singin' about touchin' it!
    • Roseanne Cash: Hey, Daddy.
    • Johnny Cash: Hey, baby.
    • Roseanne Cash: Are you okay?
    • Johnny Cash: Yeah, I'm okay. I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning.
    • June Carter: It burns. It burns.
    • Jerry Lee Lewis: We're all going to hell for the songs we sing!
    • June Carter: Y'all can't walk no line!
    • Johnny Cash: Hello, I'm Johnny Cash.
Submit a Fact | View All

Walk the Line : Watch Free on TV

Walk the Line Trivia

  • Reese Witherspoon won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2006 for what movie?  Answer »
  • In which Reese Witherspoon movie does she say the line 'baby baby baby baby' ?  Answer »
  • What movie had Reese Witherspoon in it, and is called _ _ _ _ the line?  Answer »
  • What movie did this line come from? "Now I've asked you 40 different ways and it's time you come up with a fresh answer.I'm asking you to marry me."  Answer »
More Walk the Line Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Walk the Line Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Walk the Line to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

YlowBstard Skin by YlowBstard
8695 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins