Welcome back, Reese Witherspoon

After seeing Freeway, Pleasantville, Election, and American Psycho (1996-2000), I was pretty sure she had a guaranteed seat at the table of America's best young actors (alongside Tobey Maguire, Natalie Portman, and Joaquin Phoenix).

Then came her Legally Blonde / Sweet Home Alabama / Little Nicky era (2000-2003), and I figured we were going to end up with just another Drew Barrymore or Brittany Murphy. (Witherspoon, please yield your seat at the table of honor to Scarlett Johansson or Hilary Swank — and ‘Amidala’ Portman, YOU are on probation, young lady.)

All is well now. Finally saw Walk the Line last night, and ... damn.

If angels of mercy do in fact walk the earth, then June Carter was surely among them, and Witherspoon clearly put everything she had into the role. When she wins the Oscar, everyone will talk about her singing and her stage presence, but it's really her unrelenting performance as the off-stage June, willful and vulnerable and buoyed by the love of her family, that makes this the best performance I've seen all year.