I just got home from watching "Lincoln".

[rustydog]

Damn, Spielberg hit it out of the park. Daniel Day Lewis is mesmerizing as Lincoln. A GREAT movie!

[russspeakeasy]

1. You just sold 2 tickets. We're going on Monday. Thanks.

[lonestarnot]

2. Soon!

[Staph]

3. I saw it yesterday with family and friends.

We could not stop talking about the movie, all through dinner and the rest of the evening.

It is history and politics and husband-and-wife and father-and-son and workplace dynamics and race and so many other amazing things. And Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn and Tommy Lee Jones are looking at Oscar nominations.

[rustydog]

4. I will see it in the theater again then I will buy the DVD when it comes out!

My grand children will watch this with me when they are old enough.

[Staph]

7. We're talking about going to see it again.

It is such a dense movie -- dense in the sense of so much going on, in the dialogue and in the relationships among all of the political players of both parties and all of the different factions.

And I know that I'll be buying the DVD as well!

[Blue_In_AK]

21. According to Spielberg, there were 140 speaking parts.

The first time through, it's hard to keep track of who everyone is. I saw an early screening in LA with my daughter who is a lawyer for the Directors' Guild, with a Spielberg Q&A afterwards. it was fascinating hearing some of the back stories from the great man himself.

[Frustratedlady]

5. How would a Republican react to it? I had a friend who went to see it last night, but

not one word. Just curious.

[Staph]

9. I think that an open-minded Republican . . .

(if that isn't an oxymoron), would be fascinated by this film.

We think of today's political climate as rough and tumble, but these folks were the real deal. Can you imagine Nancy Pelosi calling John Boehner "vulture guts" in an official speech on the floor of the House?

[Frustratedlady]

12. I was hoping it would change their minds, but...

I doubt it. I keep chipping away at their loyalty to the Repugs, but I don't feel I'm getting through. They claim to be open-minded, but you know how that goes.

Thanks for your thoughts.

[Ruby the Liberal]

15. Today at dinner

my hard core RW aunt brought up this film. Said it was the most amazing movie she had ever seen - that Daniel Day Lewis and Sally Field were positively amazing, almost that they were channeling Abe and Mary Lincoln. Never heard her gush about a movie before and honestly don't even know what her taste in 'good cinema' is, but she certainly convinced all of us that this is a must see.

Your post made me curious (I haven't had time to see it yet) - why would you ask about R reaction?

[Frustratedlady]

30. She seemed reserved to see it. I think many people consider Abe a Dem.

Also, she claims she isn't bigoted, but I think otherwise. Freeing the slaves probably wasn't something she'd approve of, but I may be wrong.

If she loved it, she would have gushed, as well.

[Live and Learn]

6. Both my mother and my son found it too long (read boring).

Can you imagine that? I found it mesmerizing. It felt like you were really there during one of the most challenging times in the history of our country. I'll be getting the dvd too.

[romantico]

8. The

The trailer and clips do not do Daniel Day Lewis performance justice. I literally could not take my eyes off him whenever he was on screen.What I liked about this film was it was not a typical Spielberg film. Not a typical John Williams score either. Very low key but at the same time it had so much heart. I found myself getting choked up in scenes.James Spader and Sally Field were great but the entire cast deserves a round of applause. Tommy Lee Jones has never been better. I also liked Stephen Henderson who played Lincoln's valet (he always tried to give Lincoln a pair of gloves and he never took them) Loved everyone in it.

IMO, I think this will sweep the Oscars. Only one other film that may give Lincoln a run for it's money ad that is another Presidential biography called Hyde Park on the Hudson with Bill Murray.

[Ruby the Liberal]

16. James Spader is in this?

I have had a major crush on him for eons now. Sex, Lies and Videotape was a killer.

Who does he play?

[aletier_v]

18. A seedy lobbyist type

Lincoln delegated to Seward, who hired 3rd party types
to trade administration jobs for votes from lame duck congressman,
so Lincoln had plausible deniability.

[Ruby the Liberal]

23. I can definitely see him in that role.

Thanks for the heads up!

[SayitAintSo]

25. He was excellent in that role

Just saw it for the 2nd time. It was even better!

[Frank Cannon]

36. Spader stole almost every scene he was in.

You could almost say that he and his two cohorts provided the comic relief for this movie.

[SayitAintSo]

37. yes...yes....Love Spader

Thought he did a little 'Denny Crane' in there as well

[Lex]

22. Spader is wonderful in the movie.

Thoroughly enjoyed him in this role in Lincoln. He gets quite a bit of time on screen.

[corneliamcgillicutty]

26. Glad you mentioned the clips/previews

because after seeing them, I could not imagine Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln. Now I will definitely go to see it. Thanks much!

[larkrake]

27. Hunger Games is better all around, but Lincoln is disturbingly good and Tommy Lee Jones nd Lewis sho

and Tommy Lee Jones and Lewis should get noms

[fightthegoodfightnow]

10. Amazing Movie

Run...don't Walk

[bluestate10]

11. I saw Lincoln earlier today. A bit slow at times, but great movie. Well worth the money and time. nt

[mopinko]

13. loved the movie, and the book

loosely based on doris kearns goodwin's 'team of rivals'. (which also had it's slow moments)
day-lewis is good, but i loved, loved sally field as mary todd lincoln. i have always been very sympathetic to her, and really glad they portrayed here in as a multi-dimensional character.

[Nightjock]

14. I saw it and could not stop thinking about

President Obama.
Lincoln is one of his idols and the way Lincoln went about changing things is almost exactly the way our Prez works.
Some of my liberal friends ( that always bitch about Obama not doing enough) need to see this flick.
I was glued to my seat for 2 plus hours and I have a bladder the size of a walnut!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

17. Will see it

tomorrow...

[warrior1]

19. Saw this yesterday.

Excellent. Please see this film. Put, hold off of drinking liquids. It is a long film.

[Lex]

24. It's 2:29 but it didn't *seem* long

however I agree about not wanting to miss a minute by having to go to the bathroom in the middle of it.

[magical thyme]

20. I saw it last Sunday.

Superb. Oscar performances to go around. Brilliant writing too. Love Sally Field as Mary Todd. One of her lines...I won't give it away....MEEEOOWWWW!...entire theater cracked up.

[fairfaxvadem]

28. Plan to see it ASAP, however,

I'm curious about the "loosely-based" on Team of Rivals. Why that specifically? (an answer only Spielberg can answer). With Malice Toward None is a brilliant book about the Lincoln Presidency (among many), and Gore Vidal's novel, Lincoln, is one of my all time favorites. My copy is worn out. Just a beautifully written book.

I admit, I'm not the biggest fan of DKG...and wish other contributions to Lincoln's legacy were credited besides hers.

[Lex]

29. I wondered about that too because it has little

to do DKG's book EXCEPT it seems to have used a lot of the research (and maybe some quotes from the various people) from her book to re-create this slice of time in Lincoln's life.

[Frank Cannon]

33. I read an interview with Kushner (screenwriter)

And he said it was because there was just too much material in the book to make a coherent, focused movie and not have it turn into a five-part miniseries. Ultimately, it was Spielberg's decision to just concentrate on the passage of the 13th Amendment and use that to illustrate what the book's author was trying to get across.

I'm not a big Spielberg fan (I think he gets way too maudlin and sappy at times), but Mrs. Cannon and I saw the movie today and thought it was excellent. They might as well just send Daniel Day-Lewis his Academy Award right now. And Sally Field, David Strathairn, and Tommy Lee Jones will certainly also be in the running.

[PCIntern]

31. Just saw it just now...

Great...not quite The King's Speech,but lots o' parallels to today, etc. Day-Lewis is remarkable and Sally Field has sure come a long way since Gidget...
Terrific...thoughtful and provocative.

[Locut0s]

32. I wish Spielberg could stop being so sentimental. This could have been a GREAT film...

Instead it's just a good film with some amazing performances. Overall though it's just too sentimental and 'perfect' a portrait.

Spielberg's greatest failing IMHO is his inability not to sentimentalize everything he touches. Otherwise he has the skills of the great directors but IMO he almost always ends up marring his films.

Just my 2 cents, please don't burn me alive

[Frank Cannon]

34. I agree with you about his sentimentality.

My ONLY quibble about this film is that it should have ended two scenes before it did, with Lincoln walking down the steps. Then it would have been perfect. But no, Spielberg just had to tack on his usual signatory schmaltz.

[Paladin]

35. Too Bad Stanley Kubrick Isn't Around Anymore.

Kubrick's "Lincoln" flick would have been half as sentimental but twice as long. But folks like you would have been happy, I suppose......