The Conspirator (2010)

Mary Surratt is the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln. As the whole nation turns against her, she is forced to rely on her reluctant lawyer to uncover the truth and save her life.

Director:

Robert Redford

Writers:

James D. Solomon, James D. Solomon (story),

Stars:

James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Kevin Kline

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James McAvoy	...	Frederick Aiken
Robin Wright	...	Mary Surratt
Kevin Kline	...	Edwin Stanton
Evan Rachel Wood	...	Anna Surratt
Tom Wilkinson	...	Reverdy Johnson
Justin Long	...	Nicholas Baker
Danny Huston	...	Joseph Holt
James Badge Dale	...	William Hamilton
Colm Meaney	...	David Hunter
Alexis Bledel	...	Sarah Weston
Johnny Simmons	...	John Surratt
Toby Kebbell	...	John Wilkes Booth
Jonathan Groff	...	Louis Weichmann
Stephen Root	...	John Lloyd
John Cullum	...	Judge Wylie

Storyline

In the wake of Abraham Lincoln's assassination, seven men and one woman are arrested and charged with conspiring to kill the President, the Vice-President, and the Secretary of State. The lone woman charged, Mary Surratt, 42, owns a boarding house where John Wilkes Booth and others met and planned the simultaneous attacks. Against the ominous back-drop of post-Civil War Washington, newly-minted lawyer, Frederick Aiken, a 28-year-old Union war-hero, reluctantly agrees to defend Surratt before a military tribunal. As the trial unfolds, Aiken realizes his client may be innocent and that she is being used as bait and hostage in order to capture the only conspirator to have escaped a massive manhunt, her own son.

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Plot Keywords:

lawyer | truth | trial | president | union | 

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Taglines:

One bullet killed the President. But not one man.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violent content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

El conspirador

Filming Locations:

Springfield, Georgia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,509,048 (USA) (15 April 2011)

Gross:

$11,538,204 (USA) (9 September 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Film Company, The, Wildwood Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Toby Kebbell plays John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Kebbell is no stranger to this kind of role. He previously played Pausanias, who assassinated Philip II of Macedon (father of Alexander the Great) in Alexander.

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Goofs

Anne tells Aiken her brother's room is upstairs on the left. He goes upstairs and makes a right into the room. From the camera angle it is on the left, but from Aiken's perspective it is on the right.

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Quotes

Frederick Aiken: You're my witness! Should I not expect you to tell me the truth?

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #1.14 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"All Hail to Our Triumph"
"E Pluribus Unum"
Words and Music by Harry Buckline
Arranged and Performed by Curtis Roush

User Reviews

Saw it twice. Really enjoyed it.

I saw this movie twice with two different friends who wanted to go. I thought it was great the first time and even better the second. The second time I watched from the perspective of believing Mary was guilty and was surprised that I enjoyed it even more that time. Robin Wright and James McAvoy do an amazing job in portraying real, complicated human beings. Kevin Kline seems villainous, but can also be read as a strong man in the grip of emotion and overwhelming responsibility. The cast is riveting, with breathtakingly well-done small and large parts. Couldn't take my eyes off Stephen Root and John Collum during their time on the screen. I enjoyed it and it got me thinking. There's real subtlety here -- art and history brought together.