Okay. I'll admit it. I know NOTHING about Johnny Cash, although I do recognize both his face and his voice, and can sing bits of some of his songs. I don't like traditional Country & Western music, although I do confess, I have a penchant for Texas Swing and especially the music of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys...but COUNTRY MUSIC? nah.

So all I know about Johnny Cash is that he wore black a lot, sang the kind of songs that generally had me diving for the radio tuner buttons, and that he did prison time for something or other.

And now here's this movie about his life, getting good WOM, got TOTAL SERIOUS HONEY Reese Witherspoon in it, how could I not go? So Mr. Otter and I caught the late night show. And were pleased that we did so.

Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix (who is not a honey, but is a darn good actor and has GORGEOUS eyes) were absolutely wonderful. Great chemistry, really believeable, just a joy to watch. Even in a long ( 2 1/4 hours) movie, we didn't get tired of them, and the ending was totally worth the buildup.

But.

And you knew this was coming, didn't you?

BUT...

This is just another 'celebrity gets famous, hits the drugs and booze too hard, gets busted, ruins life' movie, and of course you know that (unlike others) Cash is gonna get it together and get the girl. Even I knew that. And his 'prison record' was a bust for smuggling prescription drugs up from Mexico, give me a break! So in that way, it's nothing out of the ordinary...the only reason to see this is to enjoy Witherspoon and Phoenix...and you will enjoy them, truly. They do their own singing and play the instruments themselves, and do a pretty darn good job of it. "Better than the originals!" says Mr. Otter, and I certainly wouldn't know enough to contradict him.