Lincoln (2012)

As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Tony Kushner (screenplay), Doris Kearns Goodwin (book)

Stars:

Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn

Won 2 Oscars. Another 58 wins & 112 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Abraham Lincoln
Sally Field	...	Mary Todd Lincoln
David Strathairn	...	William Seward
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Robert Lincoln
James Spader	...	W.N. Bilbo
Hal Holbrook	...	Preston Blair
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Thaddeus Stevens
John Hawkes	...	Robert Latham
Jackie Earle Haley	...	Alexander Stephens
Bruce McGill	...	Edwin Stanton
Tim Blake Nelson	...	Richard Schell
Joseph Cross	...	John Hay
Jared Harris	...	Ulysses S. Grant
Lee Pace	...	Fernando Wood
Peter McRobbie	...	George Pendleton

Storyline

In 1865, as the American Civil War winds inexorably toward conclusion, U.S. president Abraham Lincoln endeavors to achieve passage of the landmark constitutional amendment which will forever ban slavery from the United States. However, his task is a race against time, for peace may come at any time, and if it comes before the amendment is passed, the returning southern states will stop it before it can become law. Lincoln must, by almost any means possible, obtain enough votes from a recalcitrant Congress before peace arrives and it is too late. Yet the president is torn, as an early peace would save thousands of lives. As the nation confronts its conscience over the freedom of its entire population, Lincoln faces his own crisis of conscience -- end slavery or end the war.

---

Plot Keywords:

slavery | civil war | u.s. president | american civil war | constitutional amendment | 

---

Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [fr]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Steven Spielberg/Abraham Lincoln Project

Filming Locations:

407 Cockade Alley, Petersburg, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$65,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$944,308 (USA) (9 November 2012)

Gross:

$182,204,440 (USA) (19 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

DreamWorks SKG, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Reliance Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Steven Spielberg has explained that during the movie's climactic scene in which the names of House of Representative members are being called to vote on the 13th Amendment, the names of many of the men who voted 'No' --for various reasons--were actually changed in the film so as not to embarrass the living descendants of these men whose reputations might have been stained by their negative vote-casting.

---

Goofs

Mary Lincoln worries that Robert will be killed by a sniper. The term sniper was not used in the US until well after the Civil War. The equivalent term was sharp shooter.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Abraham Lincoln: It's nighttime. Ship's move by some terrible power at terrific speed. And though it's imperceptible in the darkness, I have an intuition that we're headed towards a shore. No one else seems to be aboard the vessel. I'm keenly aware of my aloneness.
Abraham Lincoln: [quoting Hamlet] "I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams."
Abraham Lincoln: Hmm. I reckon it's the speed that's strange to me. I'm used to going at a deliberate pace. I should space ...
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.73 (2013)

---

Soundtracks

"Last of Sizemore"
Performed and Arranged by Jim Taylor
Courtesy of Gourd Music

User Reviews

"Lincoln" & Daniel Day Lewis Incredible.. Warning:not an action film

Just read some of the "bad" reviews & simply just don't get how you can't like this GREAT MOVIE. Spielberg's "Lincoln" was AWESOME. The Director was able to take you "Back In Time" when things were much simpler & primitive, way back in the 1860's. And Daniel Day Lewis moved me in this film like no other actor has ever done. Mr. Lewis' performance was mesmerizing and spellbinding. He was "Abraham Lincoln." His acting in this movie is definitely "Best Actor/Academy Award Worthy.

"Lincoln" was not directed or produced with the main intention to deliver an Action "Civil" War Movie concentrating on horrific action battle scenes. If you want mainly entertaining action scenes then James Bond & "Skyfall" should be your pick. I'm sure it is also an awesome film. I want to see "Skyfall" also. But "Lincoln" was my first pick of the holiday blockbuster season.

Stephen Spielberg, designed this Movie to specifically concentrate on "The Man" Abraham Lincoln: Our 16th President of the United States. And how Mr. Lincoln helped end the CIVIL WAR and at the same time Abolish Slavery in our United States of America in the last few but Very Important months of this Great Man's Life. Daniel Day-Lewis helped show the truly human sides of Abraham Lincoln.

I Admire and Honor Abraham Lincoln even more so after viewing this Film.