Graphic By: Jen Hight

Walk The Line tells the story of legendary recording artist Johnny Cash, from his childhood days on an Arkansas farm to his rise to fame with Sun records.

If you're looking for the man who wrote the lyrics above, you won't find him in this movie. What you will find, however, is the story of the insanely romantic love affair between June Carter (Reese Witherspoon) and Cash (Joaquin Phoenix).

The film starts with Johnny as a child in Arkansas, the son of a sharecropper (Robert Patrick) and his wife (Shelby Lynne). As in the movie Ray, the death of a brother leaves the family reeling and unknowingly provides the backbone for Cash's career.

Cash is deeply scarred but continues with life as he joins the Air Force and marries his first wife Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin), who thinks he should give up his dreams of singing and find a job to support their family.

Cash soon heads to Sun Records and gets an audition with Sam Phillips, who is credited for discovering Elvis, among other famous performers at the time. This is where it begins; you leave the audience and join Cash and his Tennessee Two in the recording studio.

Phillips lights a fire under Cash and provokes a depth of emotion that instantly propels him to stardom. Soon, Cash is sent out on tour with greats like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and county music royalty June Carter.

The performances during these scenes on the road are incredible. Tyler Hilton gives an amazing performance as Elvis, and Waylon Payne is exceedingly convincing as Jerry Lee Lewis. Witherspoon and Phoenix light the stage on fire with their vocals. Not only do they give great acting performances, but they also channel Cash and Carter into their own voices.

As you can imagine, after some time on the road, Cash's marriage to Vivian begins to break down. He falls hard for Carter, and at the same time finds himself hooked on something else--pills.

It is obvious that something special is happening in Walk The Line. You don't see Phoenix or Witherspoon. Instead, you're transported from that rigid, uncomfortable seat in the movie theater to the back of an old Tennessee music hall, listening to Cash and Carter sing "Jackson," as the band plays on.

In all honesty, I will tell you that even if you're not a fan of Johnny Cash, or haven't been properly introduced to his music, you will still enjoy this film. It's a story of humanity, of life, making wrong decisions and then trying to redeem yourself.

Walk The Line is unquestionably one of the best films of 2005, if not the best. And just so you know, that's saying a lot coming from a confessed Star Wars nerd and avid comic book fan.