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Lincoln (film)

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Lincoln
Teaser poster
Directed bySteven Spielberg
Screenplay byTony Kushner
Produced bySteven Spielberg
Kathleen Kennedy
StarringDaniel Day-Lewis
Sally Field
David Strathairn
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
James Spader
Hal Holbrook
Tommy Lee Jones
Jackie Earle Haley
CinematographyJanusz Kamiński
Edited byMichael Kahn
Music byJohn Williams
Production
companies
Distributed byUnited States:
Touchstone Pictures
International:
20th Century Fox
Release dates
  • October 8, 2012 (2012-10-08) (New York Film Festival)
  • November 9, 2012 (2012-11-09)
Running time
150 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$50[1]-65 million[2]
Box office$944,308[3]

Lincoln is a 2012 biographical war drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as United States President Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln.[4] The film is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography of Lincoln, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and covers the final four months of Lincoln's life. Filming began Monday, October 17, 2011[5] and ended on December 19, 2011.[6] The film is scheduled for limited release on November 9, 2012 and wide release on November 16, 2012 in the United States by Disney’s Touchstone distribution label in the U.S.[7] and January 25 in the United Kingdom, with distribution in international territories, including the UK, by 20th Century Fox.[8] The timing of the film's release coincides with the 150th anniversary of the days leading to the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Plot summary

DreamWorks has announced that the film "will focus on the political collision of Lincoln and the powerful men of his cabinet on the road to abolition and the end of the Civil War."[9] According to Spielberg, Doris Kearns Goodwin's entire book about Lincoln's presidency is "much too big" for a film, and said that the film will focus on the last few months of Lincoln's life, the ending of slavery and the Union victory in the Civil War. Spielberg said that "what permanently ended slavery was the very close vote in the House of Representatives over the Thirteenth Amendment – that story I'm excited to tell." Spielberg plans to show "Lincoln at work, not just Lincoln standing around posing for the history books...arguably the greatest working President in American history doing some of the greatest work for the world."[10][11]

Screenwriter Tony Kushner has said that he worked on the script for six years and that he was very interested in "the relationship of Lincoln to the abolitionist GOP" and that Lincoln's "incredible ability to finesse very, very treacherous political circumstances and continue to move the country forward, I mean, to lead the country forward in the midst of the most horrendously difficult period in its history, I think, is breathtaking and awe-inspiring."[12]

Cast

Liam Neeson was originally cast as Lincoln in January 2005, having previously worked with Spielberg in Schindler's List.[13] In preparation for the role, Neeson studied Lincoln extensively.[14] However, in July 2010, Neeson left the project, saying that he had grown too old for the part.[15] In November 2010, it was announced that Day-Lewis would replace Neeson in the role.[16] Doris Kearns Goodwin described Lincoln in his final months as a leader with "the rare wisdom of a temperament that consistently displayed an uncommon magnanimity to those who opposed him".[17] Producer Kathleen Kennedy described Day-Lewis's performance as "remarkable" after 75% of the filming had been completed, and said, "Every day you get the chills thinking that Lincoln is sitting there right in front of you." Kennedy described Day-Lewis's method acting immersion into the role: "He is very much deeply invested and immersed throughout the day when he's in character, but he's very accessible at the end of the day, once he can step outside of it and not feel that – I mean, he's given huge scenes with massive amounts of dialogue and he needs to stay in character, it's a very, very performance-driven movie."[18]
Field was first announced to join the cast as early as September 2007, but officially joined the cast in April 2011.[20] Field said, "To have the opportunity to work with Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis and to play one of the most complicated and colorful women in American history is simply as good as it gets."[21] Spielberg said, "she has always been my first choice to portray all the fragility and complexity that was Mary Todd Lincoln".[22]
Robert Lincoln had recently left his studies at Harvard Law School and was newly named a Union Army captain and personal attendant to General Grant. He returned to the White House on April 14, 1865 to visit his family. His father was assassinated that night.[24]
Tad was 12 years old, and toured Richmond, Virginia, with his father.
A fervent abolitionist, Stevens feared that Lincoln would "turn his back on emancipation." Stevens "excoriated him on the floor of the House" for meeting with a Confederate peace delegation.[24]
According to John Hay, "The history of governments affords few instances of an official connection hallowed by a friendship so absolute and sincere as that which existed between these two magnanimous spirits", namely Seward and Lincoln. Seward had been seriously injured in a carriage accident nine days before Lincoln's assassination. He and his son Frederick W. Seward were attacked by Lewis Powell simultaneous with Lincoln's shooting, and were both severely injured but both survived.[24]
Wood became a Copperhead Democratic Congressman sympathetic to the Confederacy
Stephens had served with Lincoln in Congress from 1847 to 1849. He met with Abraham Lincoln on the steamboat River Queen at the unsuccessful Hampton Roads Conference on February 3, 1865
Campbell was a former Supreme Court Justice who had resigned at the start of war and then served as Assistant Secretary of War in the Confederate government. He was also a member of the Confederate delegation that met with Lincoln at the Hampton Roads Conference
Stanton took charge of the investigation of the assassination plot[24]
Hutchins broke with his party to cast a decisive vote in favor of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution which abolished slavery
Keckley was a former slave who was dressmaker and confidant to Mary Todd Lincoln
Commanded the Union Army from March 1864 and directed the strategy that led to Union Victory.
Bilboe had been imprisoned but was freed by Lincoln, and then lobbied for passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.[30]
Latham founded Lincoln College in 1865
Blair was an influential Republican politician who tried to arrange a peace agreement between the Union and the Confederacy
Schell was politician who later represented New York in the United States House of Representatives.
Hay was assistant and secretary to Abraham Lincoln
Nicolay was secretary to Abraham Lincoln
Usher was the Secretary of the Interior in Lincoln's cabinet
Blair was the son of Francis Preston Blair, was the former Postmaster-General and was a political opponent of the Radical Republicans
Speed was United States Attorney General and brother of Joshua Speed, Lincoln's oldest personal friend
Smith was Thaddeus Stevens's biracial housekeeper. Stevens was a bachelor and Smith lived with him for many years.
Lee was the daughter of Francis Preston Blair, and wrote hundreds of letters documenting events during the Civil War

Production

While consulting on a Steven Spielberg project in 1999, Goodwin told Spielberg she was planning to write Team of Rivals, and Spielberg immediately told her he wanted the film rights.[34] DreamWorks finalized the deal in 2001,[13] and by the end of the year, John Logan signed on to write the script.[35] His draft focused on Lincoln's friendship with Frederick Douglass.[36] Playwright Paul Webb was hired to rewrite and filming was set to begin in January 2006,[13] but Spielberg delayed it out of dissatisfaction with the script.[37] Neeson said Webb's draft covered the entirety of Lincoln's term as President.[38]

Tony Kushner replaced Webb. Kushner considered Lincoln "the greatest democratic leader in the world" and found the writing assignment daunting because "I have no idea [what made him great]; I don't understand what he did anymore than I understand how William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet or Mozart wrote Così fan tutte." He delivered his first draft late and felt the enormous amount written about Lincoln did not help either. Kushner said Lincoln's abolitionist ideals made him appealing to a Jewish writer, and although he felt Lincoln was Christian, he noted the president rarely quoted the New Testament and that his "thinking and his ethical deliberation seem very talmudic". He denied any interest in portraying Lincoln as homosexual – as had been speculated due to Kushner's sexuality – because "there's [not] enough evidence one way or the other to make a definitive statement about Lincoln's sexuality".[39] By late 2008, Kushner joked he was on his "967,000th book about Abraham Lincoln".[40] Kushner's initial 500-page draft focused on four months in the life of Lincoln, and by February 2009 he had rewritten it to focus on two months in Lincoln's life when he was preoccupied with adopting the Thirteenth amendment.[38]

While promoting Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in May 2008, Spielberg announced his intention to start filming in early 2009,[41] for release in November, ten months after the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.[34] In January 2009, Taunton and Dighton, Massachusetts were being scouted as potential locations.[42] Spielberg arranged a $50 million budget for the film, to please Paramount Pictures CEO Brad Grey, who had previously delayed the project over concerns it was too similar to Spielberg's commercially unsuccessful Amistad (1997). Spielberg had wanted Touchstone Pictures–which agreed to distribute all his films from 2010–to distribute the film, but he was unable to afford paying off Paramount, which DreamWorks had developed the film with.[43]

Filming took place in Petersburg, Virginia. According to location manager Colleen Gibbons, "one thing that attracted the filmmakers to the city was the 180-degree vista of historic structures" which is "very rare".[44] Lincoln toured Petersburg on April 3, 1865, the day after it fell to the Union Army. Scenes have also been filmed in Fredericksburg, Virginia and at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, which served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War.[45][1] Abraham Lincoln visited the building on April 4, 1865, after Richmond fell to the Union Army.

On September 4, 2012, DreamWorks and Google Play announced on the film's Facebook page that they would release the trailer for the film during a Google+ hangout with Steven Spielberg and Joseph Gordon-Levitt on September 13, 2012 at 7pm EDT/4pm PDT.[46] Then, on September 10, 2012, a teaser for the trailer was released.[47]

Music

The soundtrack to Lincoln was released on November 6, 2012 in the United States and was recorded by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Chorus.[48][49]

All music is composed by John Williams

No.TitleLength
1."The People’s House"3:43
2."The Purpose of the Amendment"3:07
3."Getting Out the Vote"2:49
4."The American Process"3:57
5."The Blue and Grey"3:00
6."With Malice Toward None"1:51
7."Call to Muster and Battle Cry of Freedom"2:17
8."The Southern Delegation and the Dream"4:43
9."Father and Son"1:42
10."The Race to the House"2:42
11."Equality Under the Law"3:12
12."Freedom's Call"6:08
13."Elegy"2:35
14."Remembering Willie"1:51
15."Appomattox, April 9, 1865"2:38
16."The Peterson House and Finale"11:00
17."With Malice Toward None (Piano Solo)"1:31
Total length:58:46

Reception

Early reviews for Lincoln have been positive. According to Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of critics have given the film positive reviews based on 97 reviews as of November 13, 2012.[50]

It has been praised by Charlie McCollum of the San Jose Mercury News as one"of the finest historical dramas ever committed to film." However, Rex Reed of the New York Observer claimed, "In all, there's too much material, too little revelation and almost nothing of Spielberg's reliable cinematic flair." However, the reviews have been unanimous in their praise of Daniel Day-Lewis's performance as Abraham Lincoln. Emanuel Levy of EmanuelLevy.com called it a "spell-binding performance, subtle, multi-shaded, devoid of theatricality or mannerisms." A. O. Scott from The New York Times stated the movie "is finally a movie about how difficult and costly it has been for the United States to recognize the full and equal humanity of black people" and concluded that the movie was "a rough and noble democratic masterpiece".[51]

Scott also noted that Lincoln's concern about his wife's emotional instability and "the strains of a wartime presidency... produce a portrait that is intimate but also decorous, drawn with extraordinary sensitivity and insight and focused, above all, on Lincoln's character as a politician. This is, in other words, less a biopic than a political thriller, a civics lesson that is energetically staged and alive with moral energy."[51]

Box office

As of November 13, 2012, the film has made $944,308[52] from 11 theaters (an average of $85,846 per theater) and opening at the #15 rank, becoming the highest opening of a film with such a limited release.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Vincent, Mal (October 14, 2011). "Spielberg's 'Lincoln' takes Richmond". The Virginian-Pilot. Norfolk, Virginia. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  2. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lincoln.htm
  3. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lincoln.htm
  4. ^ Breznican, Anthony (April 13, 2011). "Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' gets its Mary Todd: Sally Field". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  5. ^ McClintock, Pamela (October 12, 2011). "Participant Media Boarding Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' (Exclusive)". Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  6. ^ "Filmmakers really liked Petersburg". The Progress-Index. Petersburg, Virginia. December 29, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2012.
  7. ^ Fischer, Russ (November 19, 2010). "Daniel Day-Lewis to Star in Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'". /Film.
  8. ^ McClintock, Pamela (January 23, 2012). "Fox Partnering with DreamWorks on Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
  9. ^ a b Fischer, Russ (November 19, 2010). "Daniel Day-Lewis to Star in Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'". /Film. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  10. ^ "Spielberg's Future Projects News Exclusive: Robopocalypse & Lincoln". Retrieved November 26, 2011.
  11. ^ Wikipedia has an article on Historical rankings of Presidents of the United States
  12. ^ Goodman, Amy (May 10, 2012). "Tony Kushner on the Overlooked "Radicalism" and Lessons of Abraham Lincoln's Presidency". Democracy Now!. Retrieved May 10, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ a b c Michael Fleming (January 11, 2005). "Lincoln logs in at DreamWorks: Spielberg, Neeson eye Abe pic". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2007.
  14. ^ Max Evry (January 24, 2007). "Liam Neeson Talks Lincoln". Comingsoon.net. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
  15. ^ Simon Reynolds (July 30, 2010). "Neeson quits Spielberg's Lincoln biopic". Digital Spy.
  16. ^ Shoard, Catherine (November 19, 2010). "Daniel Day-Lewis set for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln film". The Guardian. Retrieved November 19, 2010.
  17. ^ "Day-Lewis 'remarkable' as Lincoln". Irish Independent. Dublin. December 9, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2011.
  18. ^ Chitwood, Adam (April 13, 2011). "Sally Field Set to Play Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN". Collider.com. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  19. ^ Carly Mayberry (September 25, 2007). "Field is Spielberg's new first lady". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 26, 2007. [dead link]
  20. ^ "Sally Field Set to Play Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN". Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  21. ^ Roberts, Roxanne (April 13, 2011). "Sally Field to play Mary Todd Lincoln; actress prepped for role with visit to Ford's Theatre". Washington Post. Retrieved December 14, 2011. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ a b Goetz, Barrett (May 5, 2011). "Tommy Lee Jones & Joseph Gordon-Levitt Join Spielberg's 'Lincoln'". TheMovieMash.com. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  23. ^ a b c d Goodwin, Doris Kearns (2006). Team of Rivals. Simon & Schuster. pp. 686–754. ISBN 978-0-7432-7075-5.
  24. ^ Labrecque, Jeff (November 28, 2011). "'Lincoln': Meet the Cast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  25. ^ Joshua L. Weinstein (June 27, 2011). "David Strathairn Joins DreamWorks' 'Lincoln'". TheWrap.com. Retrieved June 28, 2011.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i Lipton, Brian Scott (November 28, 2011). "Steven Spielberg's Lincoln Announces Additional Casting". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  27. ^ Jeanne Jakle (July 30, 2011). "Jeanne Jakle: McGill's profile going higher and higher". mysanantonio.com. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
  28. ^ "Walton Goggins Joins Cast Of 'Lincoln'". Deadline Hollywood. July 11, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  29. ^ a b "Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Casts Every Other Good Actor Under The Sun". Retrieved November 25, 2011. Cite error: The named reference "http://screenrant.com/steven-spielberg-lincoln-cast-sandy-114090/" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  30. ^ "David Oyelowo Joins Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln'". Retrieved November 24, 2011.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h Schaefer, Sandy. "Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Casts Every Other Good Actor Under The Sun". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 23, 2011.
  32. ^ "Tim Blake Nelson tapped for Spielberg's 'Lincoln' film in 2012". Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  33. ^ a b Ruben V. Nepales (May 18, 2008). "Spielberg may co-direct next with Peter Jackson". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 18, 2008.
  34. ^ "Logan Scripting Spielberg's Lincoln". IGN. December 7, 2001. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  35. ^ "Lincoln Update". IGN. January 23, 2003. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  36. ^ Ron Grover (April 17, 2006). "The Director's Cut". BusinessWeek. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  37. ^ a b Jeffrey Wells (February 2, 2009). "Spielberg's Lincoln in December?". Hollywood Elsewhere. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  38. ^ Naomi Pffefferman (October 25, 2007). "Kushner's (old) testament to Lincoln". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Retrieved November 22, 2008.
  39. ^ Karen Bovard (November 20, 2008). "Lincoln Logs". Hartford Advocate. Retrieved November 23, 2008.
  40. ^ Sheigh Crabtree (May 10, 2008). "Steven Spielberg: He wants to shoot 'Abraham Lincoln' in 2009". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
  41. ^ Charles Winokoor (February 7, 2009). "Film crews may be back in Silver City". Taunton Daily Gazette. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
  42. ^ Kim Masters (February 17, 2009). "Spielberg's Lincoln Troubles". Slate. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  43. ^ Wiggins, F.M. (November 17, 2011). "Lincoln film to come to Petersburg next month". Progress-Index. Petersburg, Virginia. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  44. ^ Kumar, Anita (November 8, 2011). "Virginia Politics: Lights, camera, action. Spielberg's Lincoln movie films at Capitol". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
  45. ^ "Lincoln Google Hangout and Trailer Premiere Announced for September 13th". ComingSoon.net. Los Angeles, CA. September 4, 2012. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  46. ^ "Take a Sneak Peek at Steven Spielberg's Lincoln Trailer". ComingSoon.net. Los Angeles, CA. September 10, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  47. ^ "John Williams' Tracklist For Score To Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Is Suitably Important & Historical". Retrieved August 27, 2012.
  48. ^ "John Williams' Lincoln Score Gently Spoils A Few Key Scenes". Retrieved September 30, 2012.
  49. ^ "Lincoln". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 04, 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  50. ^ a b Scott, A. O. (November 8, 2012). "A President Engaged in a Great Civil War". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  51. ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lincoln.htm

External links

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