I've seen Doris Kearns Goodwin, who wrote Teams of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, being interviewed a couple of times. On each occasion she said, "Yes, Lincoln was sexy."After seeing Steven Spielberg's movie Lincoln, and, if by sexy, she means funny, warm, intelligent, loving, kind and tall, then I agree. I was a little leery about seeing Lincoln because the length exceeds my two hour limit - but I hardly noticed.
Here's what struck me about the movie. The vulnerability of President Lincoln both in his availability (he just walked out in the open with the folks) and in his determination to do what he thought was right - even though he was strongly opposed by the Democrats, and leaders in his on Republican Party. (For instance, they wanted to punish the South. He refused.)
So how did he manage to win the Civil War AND pass the 13th amendment (freeing the slaves) at approximately the same time? He did it by good natured persuasion and compromise.
This is at once a great and vast movie and a small, dialogue driven movie. I thought I knew about President Lincoln but I learned a lot. I learned about the man and I learned about his relationship with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. And his children. And his country.
John Stewart on The Daily Show suggested that this year's Academy Award just be reworked into the image of Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays Lincoln. And be done with it.
I tend to agree.
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