Arguably, the best song ever written about Martin Luther King, Jr. was “In the Name of Love” by U2 …who are from Ireland. And now the greatest rendition of Abraham Lincoln so far is performed by an Englishman. It’s a goddam travesty!
Arguably, the best song ever written about Martin Luther King, Jr. was “In the Name of Love” by U2 …who are from Ireland. And now the greatest rendition of Abraham Lincoln so far is performed by an Englishman. It’s a goddam travesty!
But it is also good acting. Luckily, Steven Spielberg went with a fantastic actor to play one of American history’s most influential figures. Ted Nugent might have some issues with the move, but I liked it. Did I like the movie? Not really. I liked watching Lincoln being played so well. Daniel Day-Lewis is so good, that his skill can be taken for granted. Lincoln is a transformative figure, and a lot of people have some knowledge of his demeanor and mannerisms. Even people who wouldn’t consider themselves history buffs would be in the theater murmuring, “Lincoln wouldn’t have crossed his legs like that” and so on if a less skilled actor had tackled the job. However, Day-Lewis (hyphenated last names are horrendous for abbreviation purposes) is so convincing and great, it makes a fairly tedious plot bearable.
I read Team of Rivals and it seemed like most of the people in the theater were using that as their go-to source on all things Lincoln. The book really details how Lincoln masterfully won the nomination, won the presidency, and then convinced several of his former foes to join his cabinet. Most notably William H. Seward was named his Secretary of State, played very well in the movie by David Strathairn (remember him? The guy who kept the All-American Girls baseball league afloat? He’s basically the same guy in this movie). The plot follows the ratification of the 13th amendment. They can’t win the war, and they know things will get all screwy afterward if they don’t ratify the 13th toot sweet. So Seward and Co. set out to sway as many voters as possible.
Most actors you’ve ever seen on your television make some sort of an appearance (mostly dudes, mostly in silly mustaches) as they frantically hustle to gather the necessary votes. So they have a plan: Get the votes. Ratify the amendment. End the war. Is it dramatic? No. Is it a nice tale with some good moments and decent acting that’s enjoyable for the ENTIRE family? Yes. Unless your family is still gung-ho about slavery, they will probably like this movie. Although at one point (I saw it in Minnesota), they say “shit” and there was a noticeable gasp from the audience.
Sally Field plays Mary Todd Lincoln. She’s Sally Field. Tommy Lee Jones is great as Thaddeus Stevens. I’m not a huge TLJ fan, but this was my favorite performance of his in years, the curmudgeony old rascal with a heart of gold, and he’s great at it. James Spader also plays an enjoyable role that I didn’t think he’d have the chops for. I always picture him in something similar to his role in Secretary, but he’s much looser, fatter, and funnier in this. So, if all these actors are acting their fannies off AND there’s a reasonable plot, why isn’t it great? Spielberg. Unless they kill the shark, or they find the treasure, or a kid flies off through the sky on a bike, he just doesn’t really know how to end a movie.
They rush in a scene of the South surrendering (to Ulysses S. Grant, played by the British dude from Mad Men …remember him on the back of his office door? …that dude (he’s good as Grant)) and then they breeze through the assassination with a shot of Lincoln’s (unnecessarily effeminate) youngest boy screaming and crying. Day-Lewis (still gross) is great at portraying the anecdote spewing, hunched walking, bigger than life, self-educated, brilliant Lincoln. You see why people gravitated toward him. But when they kill him, they lay him on the bed in a way that completely dismisses all of that. He’s splayed out weakly, legs cockeyed, wearing a nightgown … and then he dies. That’s not how Team of Rivals led me to believe it happened. And even if it is – it’s a movie! Jazz him up a bit. Make him look tough. All in all: Day-Lewis is the best. Good family movie. Acting is good. Spielberg needs help with endings. Wait for the DVD.
Ex-Presidents: 2.5
Dave Huntsberger