Lincoln Preview

Through the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln granted freedom to the slaves in our nation's history as the Civil War continued to divide and threaten to destroy our young country.  Lincoln faced fierce opposition to his declaration and so he set out to make his decision permanent by passing a thirteenth amendment to the Constitution.  Stephen Spielberg directs Daniel Day-Lewis as President Abraham Lincoln in the story of the trials he faced to get that Amendment passed, to bring an end to the Civil War, bring peace to the United States, and bring freedom to the slaves.

This is Stephen Spielberg's fifteenth nomination for an Oscar, though it's been a while since he's won.  His last trophy was awarded him for his Direction of Saving Private Ryan (1998), although the Best Picture honors went to Shakespeare In Love. And he's not the only Oscar winner associated with this movie.  Daniel Day-Lewis has won twice, Sally Field has won twice, and Tommy Lee Jones has won once.

So, the movie shouldn't be filled with any twists and turns that I don't see coming. It's the story of Abraham Lincoln.  Civil War President, freed the slaves, and was shot and killed while attending the theatre by John Wilkes Booth.  Sorry if that was a spoiler for anyone out there.     He has the opportunity to end the war and bring peace to the South, but he feels the need to end slavery.  With so much hostile opposition, his fellow politicians, his closest advisers, even his family tell him that he can do one or the other and that he should give up on freeing the slaves.  So since we all know the story, it's going to be about how it's told, and there's not many better than Spielberg to do so.  The preview looks like a perfect time period movie that will bring Lincoln to life in a way that's never been done before.  And with an all-star cast like Day-Lewis, Field and Jones (and many others), this has all the makings of an Oscar-sweeping film.  I'm predicting at least 4 stars.  Am I right?  We shall see.