Lincoln

My dearly departed grandpa an unshakable admirer of Abraham Lincoln. To him, Lincoln was the best American president and possible the best American to have ever lived. And while I was often skeptical of of his undying adoration, to see my grandpa gush about Lincoln was a wonder that I miss a lot. This film directed by Steven Spielberg, gives me some solace, knowing my grandpa would be very happy with it like I was. Welcome to 1865: America is in its fourth year of Civil War, and Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day Lewis) has just been reelected as the President of the United States. The country is desperate for peace, and both sides struggle to deal with the war's climbing death toll. The president is under constant pressure to make a deal with the Confederacy, but his mind is occupied with passing the Thirteenth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to abolish slavery. To do so, Lincoln needs at least twenty Democratic votes in addition to Republican votes, something Secretary of State William Seward (David Straithairn) and the rest of the presidential cabinet are worried about. So while Abe also must be a husband, a father, and a friend, he must be a president, and, well, Abraham Lincoln. Before watching the film, I was surprised to learn that Lincoln had a rather high squeaky voice, and I got worried that wouldn't work well on screen. I was completely wrong. Daniel Day Lewis is stunning as the sixteenth president; his body language, facial expressions, and speech all bring the man to life. For a while there were three girls behind me chatting loudly, but as soon as Lincoln spoke the whole theater went silent. He is commanding, legendary but also human and fragile. The magnificent script by Tony Kushner never gets too melodramatic, and the scenes and dialogue are written with an amazing authenticity and emotion. With Lincoln, Spielberg is in top form. He paces everything incredibly , and the gorgeous cinematography shows off the perfect production design while keeping you invested. There are moments when the story drags a little, but the performances and direction keeps an amazing tension; I got nervous about what was gonna happen, even though I knew most of the history. The supporting cast, including Jared Harris as Ulysses S. Grant, Jackie Earl Haley as Alexander Stephens, and Sally Field as Mary Todd-Lincoln are also incredible. Tommy Lee Jones in particular deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens. The film is so well researched (Spielberg, Kushner, and the actors and crew did research for two years before even beginning production) and put together; I enjoyed every minute of it. I admit, Lincoln made me cry. Just a little, but it did. Partly because it reminded me of my grandpa, but mostly because it's just so moving. It reminded me that no matter how fed up I get with American politics or the state of the country, that good can be achieved when the right leader brings the right people together. Lincoln is a film about an extraordinary man who was in the end, just a man who managed to be extraordinary. He loved to tell stories and be with his friends, and more than anything he believed in human dignity and the power of the American ideal. He compromised yes, but he never quit fighting for the equality that he knew America could achieve. So go see Lincoln, and remember how good we've got it because of one man and his determination.