Today was the first day of Thanksgiving Break for me and it was so lovely to be able to relax! In the evening I went with my family to see the movie Lincoln which tells the story of the passing of the 13th Amendment. It is wonderful and I highly recommend that everyone go see it as soon as possible! Let me begin by saying that Daniel Day-Lewis is absolutely astonishing in the title role. I am almost positive that he will win the Academy Award for best actor and rightly so! You literally think you are seeing Abraham Lincoln on the screen, so completely does Day-Lewis capture his appearance, speech, and mannerisms. One of my favorite moments is when Lincoln, while waiting for news of a battle to come by telegraph, tells all of the assembled officials a funny story to break the tension. I think Day-Lewis is channeling the spirit of Lincoln! Sally Field is superb as Mary Todd Lincoln. She is able to hold her own against the powerful presence of Day-Lewis, particularly in the scenes where she protests against letting their son join the army and when she tells Lincoln that if he doesn't get enough votes to pass the amendment he will have to answer to her. Tommy Lee Jones is the fiery Thaddeus Stevens and, although he has several very powerful scenes, my favorite has to be when he calls another representative a "fatuous nincompoop." The supporting cast is a veritable who's who of Hollywood's most respected actors and I enjoyed every nuanced performance, especially David Strathairn as Secretary of State Seward. Steven Spielberg, as ever, is a master storyteller, successfully creating a suspenseful build-up to the final roll call of votes. Even though everyone in the theatre knew the final outcome, there was an audible cheer at the final vote! I really loved the lighting in this film. Most scenes seemed to take place in dark shadows, emphasizing the darkness faced by the country during the Civil War. I think everyone should see this movie!
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