Best Actress: Reese Witherspoon

Let's gooooo, only twenty more'a these movies to watch and time's a wastin'!

via branfraser

Memory is such a funny thing, because I would swear that I saw Walk the Line on my Grade 12 class trip to Halifax, and that the only two movies that worked with our timetable were this and the fourth HP movie, but then that would mean it's been 21 years since I was in high school and surely that math is wrong...

Anyway, I'm a sucker for a musical biopic and a double sucker if there are mid-century visuals (see Coal Miner's Daughter, A Complete Unknown), and this retelling of Johnny Cash's early life culminating with his proposal to June Carter in the late '60s hits both items on my wishlist.

It's largely Johnny Cash's life story but June Carter plays a pivotal role, singing and playing the autoharp and calling the Man in Black out on his bullshit every chance she gets and falling in love with him and becoming one of the most successful and beloved country duos of all time. Joaquin Phoenix is a great Johnny Cash, but Reese Witherspoon is a better June Carter. She's feisty and plucky and fiery and when she's performing she's on and when she's dealing with backstage bullshit or ordinary life she's understated. 

Reese and Joaquin were both cast before Johnny and June passed (within months of each other; her in May 2003 and him in September 2003) and received their blessings to play the roles. They also underwent vocal lessons and learned to play the instruments you see on film. 

Reese received critical acclaim for her performance, and while she was a fine comedic actress prior to Walk the Line, it's almost like a switch flipped and audiences and studios took her seriously as a dramatic actress as well. To think that she'd already made classics like Election and Legally Blonde and still had Wild and Big Little Lies ahead of her!

Reese was nominated against Judi Dench (Mrs. Henderson Presents), Felicity Huffman (Transamerica), Keira Knightley (Pride and Prejudice), and Charlize Theron (North Country). The real competitor that year was Felicity Huffman but Reese gave the better performance, in my opinion. I only wish Dolly Parton had've won for 'Travelin' Thru', her song for Transamerica, because that's certified platinum in my household.

Also, I absolutely adore Reese's Oscar gown!

DID I LIKE WALK THE LINE? 
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Did you like Walk the Line? What are your thoughts on Reese Witherspoon's Oscar win? 

Keep up with all my Rewatching the Best Actresses posts here.