Lincoln

2012
PG-13
2h 30m

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

276K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer2:29

Docudrama Period Drama Political Drama Biography Drama History War

As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the ... Read allAs the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.

Director
- Steven Spielberg
Writers
- Tony Kushner
- Doris Kearns Goodwin
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

276K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,397

173

Director
- Steven Spielberg
Writers
- Tony Kushner
- Doris Kearns Goodwin
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 2 Oscars
- 107 wins & 251 nominations total

Trivia
Steven Spielberg spent 12 years researching the film. He recreated Abraham Lincoln's Executive Mansion office precisely, with the same wallpaper and books Lincoln used. The ticking of Lincoln's watch in the film is the sound of Lincoln's actual pocket watch. Lincoln's watch is housed in the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort, Kentucky (not the Lincoln Presidential Library). It is the watch he carried the day of his assassination.

Goofs
Two Connecticut Congressmen vote against the 13th Amendment during the movie; however, all four Connecticut Congressmen actually supported and voted in favor of the Amendment in 1865.

Quotes
Abraham Lincoln: It was right after the revolution, right after peace had been concluded. And Ethan Allen went to London to help our new country conduct its business with the king. The English sneered at how rough we are and rude and simple-minded and on like that, everywhere he went. 'Til one day he was invited to the townhouse of a great English lord. Dinner was served, beverages imbibed, time passed as happens and Mr. Allen found he needed the privy. He was grateful to be directed to this. Relieved, you might say. Mr. Allen discovered on entering the water closet that the only decoration therein was a portrait of George Washington. Ethan Allen done what he came to do and returned to the drawing room. His host and the others were disappointed when he didn't mention Washington's portrait. And finally his lordship couldn't resist and asked Mr. Allen had he noticed it, the picture of Washington. He said he had. Well, what did he think of its placement? Did it seem appropriately located to Mr. Allen? And Mr. Allen said it did. The host was astounded.
[British accent]
Abraham Lincoln: "Appropriate? George Washington's likeness in a water closet?"
[normal voice]
Abraham Lincoln: "Yes," said Mr. Allen, "where it will do good service. The world knows nothing will make an Englishman shit quicker than the sight of George Washington."
[the whole room laughs]
Abraham Lincoln: I love that story.

Crazy credits
No opening credits except for the main title.

Alternate versions
For international releases, an additional prologue about the Civil War was added prior to the start of the film. It mostly shows archive photos with the prologue text included in it. This was decided by the studio's marketing department in its research which realized that while many non-American audiences know of the titular character, most of them are not familiar with the war itself.

Connections
Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #21.10 (2012)

Soundtracks
We Are Coming, Father Abra'am
Words by James Sloan Gibbons
Music by Stephen Foster (as Stephen Collins Foster)

User reviews977

Review

Featured review

Flawed but recommended

I saw Lincoln yesterday and have been turning the movie over in my head. Something seemed lacking. Then I realized what that was.

The movie portrayed Congress debating over the 13th Amendment that would end slavery. The movie also portrayed only politically correct Black people. In Lincoln one only sees black people that are smartly dressed soldiers, suited gentlemen, and immaculately dressed, well-spoken and seemingly college educated women.

That historical fiction blights the movie.

The vast majority of Blacks in 1865 were not well-spoken, well-dressed, or well-educated. They had been denied access to such opportunities.

A reasonable person, in 1865, imbued with the observations of their time, might well believe that Black people were inferior in intellect or that that Black people weren't ready for the responsibilities of freedom. In Lincoln, you see these arguments aired. However, the speeches seem nonsensical when the movie deliberately declined to provide the social and cultural context that would have supported those perspectives.

There is a lot to like about Lincoln, though. Daniel Day Lewis was exceptional in the lead role. He avoided the mistake of making A. Lincoln a caricature of who Lincoln was. The characters and the script closely follow history. Few actors could have so believably delivered the role of Thaddeus Stevens but Tommy Lee Jones manages that very well.