I thought the performances by River Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon were outstanding. I don't want to quibble about who got the Best Actor Oscar (I understand that Philip Seymour Hoffman, the winner, did an amazing job playing Truman Capote), but I thought Phoenix's performance was worthy of the prize.

As for the story, I pretty much knew the details going in. And for that treason, I would have liked to see more details: about Cash's love for music, about his appeal to his fans, about his place in the chaotic cultural scene of the 1960s (there was virtually nothing about his very unusual straddling of the cultural divide in those turbulent times), about June Carter's own musical/artistic journey, and a host of other issues. Some issues were just barely touched upon (like the bond between Cash and prison inmates), where I would have preferred that they be explored more fully.

Interestingly, I watched this movie on the same weekend that I watched "Good Night and Good Luck," about Edward R. Murrow's reporting and commentary on Joe McCarthy. I had the same reaction to both movies: while the performances were excellent, I already knew the outlines of the story, so I would have appreciated more insight into the personal dynamics that underlay the facts. However, I think that Ron is probably right; adding in the details I wanted would have lengthened these movies beyond the point where they would hold most viewers' interest.