**Walk the Line showcases incredible acting and directing but leaves out the brighter parts of Cash’s life to tell a more somber story that left me sad.**

Walk the Line chronicles the story of Johnny Cash’s rise to fame and romance with June Carter. James Mangold is one of my favorite directors and tells this story powerfully through the Oscar-worthy performances of Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. The acting, music, and directing are all phenomenal. Still, the story is so sad, and its conclusion, while happy, happens so abruptly that it doesn’t feel resolved or satisfied after 2+ hours of drug addiction and hurting loved ones. Cash’s faith and love for his family, which are well known, aren’t represented in the movie and could have provided hope in this dark tale. I understand why this movie was such a huge award winner, but my escapist nature struggled to enjoy such a sad story.