Vacation Movies, Part I

I saw the first of my holiday movies Monday night: "Walk the Line" with Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. It was excellent and deserves being seen, even at full price.

The story of singer Johnny Cash was well-portrayed by Phoexix, and June Carter never looked better with Witherspoon's perky and upbeat characterization. At times, with the camera angle just so, Phoenix looked the spitting image of Cash. Add in the fact that he sang the songs himself, and you've got a performance that is both entertaining and awe-inspiring.

The only downside was the chattering of patrons near me. I don't know what I do to always sit by the talkies, but it is annoying. Behind me and to the right were two older women, who shared the occasional remark with each other, usually followed by a chortle. To the left was a family of two parents and two children, both under the 13-year-old suggested age for admission. It would not have been so bad, but the family acted as if the theater were its own personal living room, and talked throughout the film. The quartet also whooped and hollered as if at an outdoor concert. Sadly, the children were better behaved than the parents.

I still have a couple more holiday features to view, and the Wenatchee theaters seem to have most of what I want to see. A trip to Seattle should fill in the rest.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.