Lincoln (film)

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{{short description|2012 film by Steven Spielberg}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Lincoln
| image = Lincoln 2012 Teaser Poster.jpg
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = [[Steven Spielberg]]
| producer = {{Plainlist|
* Steven Spielberg
* [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]]
}}
| writer =
| screenplay = [[Tony Kushner]]
| story =
| based_on = {{Based on|''[[Team of Rivals]]''|[[Doris Kearns Goodwin]]}}
| starring = {{Plainlist|
* [[Daniel Day-Lewis]]
* [[Sally Field]]
* [[David Strathairn]]
* [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]]
* [[James Spader]]
* [[Hal Holbrook]]
* [[Tommy Lee Jones]]
}}
| music = [[John Williams]]
| cinematography = [[Janusz Kamiński]]
| editing = [[Michael Kahn (film editor)|Michael Kahn]]
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* [[DreamWorks Pictures]]<ref name=VarReview>{{cite news |last1=Debruge |first1=Peter |title=Lincoln: Review |url=https://variety.com/2012/film/reviews/lincoln-1117948666/ |access-date=13 January 2021 |work=Variety |date=November 1, 2022}}</ref>
* [[20th Century Fox]]<ref name=VarReview/>
* [[Reliance Entertainment]]<ref name=VarReview/>
* [[Participant Media]]<ref name=VarReview/>
* [[Dune Entertainment]]<ref name=VarReview/>
* [[Amblin Entertainment]]<ref name=VarReview/>
* [[The Kennedy/Marshall Company]]<ref name=VarReview/>
}}
| distributor = {{Plainlist|
* [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]]{{efn|name=Disney|Distributed by [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]] through the [[Touchstone Pictures]] banner.<ref name=DisneyFox/><ref>{{cite web |title=AFI Catalog: Lincoln (2012) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/69079-LINCOLN |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=13 January 2021}}</ref>}}<br>(North America)
* 20th Century Fox<ref name=DisneyFox/> (International)
}}
| released = {{Film date|2012|10|8|[[New York Film Festival]]|2012|11|16|United States|ref2=<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.deadline.com/2012/07/lincoln-movie-release-date-november-9-2012-steven-spielberg-disney/ |title=Disney Dates Steven Spielberg's ''Lincoln'' Into Awards-Season Fray |author=The Deadline Team |date=July 18, 2022}}</ref>}}
| runtime = 150 minutes<ref>{{cite web|title=''LINCOLN'' (12A)|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/lincoln-2013-0|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=November 28, 2012 |access-date=November 28, 2022}}</ref>
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $65 million<ref>{{cite news|last=McClintock|first=Pamela|title=DreamWorks' Stacey Snider Reveals How Studio Slimmed Down to Stay Alive|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-stacey-snider-reveals-how-648350|access-date=9 December 2013|newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=17 October 2022}}</ref>
| gross = $275.3 million<ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3814622721/ |title=Lincoln (2012) |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 28, 2022}}</ref>
| border = yes
}}

'''''Lincoln''''' is a 2012 American [[Biographical film|biographical]] [[historical drama]] film directed and produced by [[Steven Spielberg]], starring [[Daniel Day-Lewis]] as [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/04/13/spielbergs-lincoln-gets-its-mary-todd-sally-field/ |title=Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' gets its Mary Todd: Sally Field |author=Breznican, Anthony |date=April 13, 2011 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref> It also features [[Sally Field]], [[David Strathairn]], [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]], [[James Spader]], [[Hal Holbrook]] and [[Tommy Lee Jones]] in supporting roles.

The screenplay by [[Tony Kushner]] was loosely based on [[Doris Kearns Goodwin]]'s 2005 biography ''[[Team of Rivals|Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln]]'', and covers the final four months of Lincoln's life, focusing on his efforts in January 1865 to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude by having the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]] passed by the [[United States House of Representatives]].

The film was produced by Spielberg and frequent collaborator [[Kathleen Kennedy (producer)|Kathleen Kennedy]], through their respective production companies, [[Amblin Entertainment]] and the [[The Kennedy/Marshall Company|Kennedy/Marshall Company]]. Filming began October 17, 2011,<ref>{{cite news
| last = McClintock
| first = Pamela
| title = Participant Media Boarding Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' (Exclusive)
| newspaper = [[The Hollywood Reporter]]
| location = Los Angeles
| date = October 12, 2011
| url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/participant-media-steven-spielberg-lincoln-247470
| access-date =October 15, 2022}}</ref> and ended on December 19, 2011.<ref name=Like>{{cite news
|title = Filmmakers really liked Petersburg
|newspaper = [[The Progress-Index]]
|location = [[Petersburg, Virginia]]
|date = December 29, 2011
|url = https://www.progress-index.com/news/op-ed/filmmakers-really-liked-petersburg-1.1250470#axzz1k7PM6CQe
|access-date = January 22, 2012
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121125233051/http://progress-index.com/news/op-ed/filmmakers-really-liked-petersburg-1.1250470#axzz1k7PM6CQe
|archive-date = November 25, 2012
|df = mdy-all
}}</ref> ''Lincoln'' premiered on October 8, 2012 at the [[New York Film Festival]]. The film was co-produced by American companies [[DreamWorks Pictures]], [[20th Century Fox]], and [[Participant (company)|Participant Media]], with Indian company [[Reliance Entertainment]], and released theatrically by [[Touchstone Pictures]] in North America on November 16, 2012.<ref name="bfi">{{cite web |title=Lincoln (2012) |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/50c30d294238b |website=[[BFI]] |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=3 April 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/daniel-day-lewis-lincoln-steven-spielberg/|title=Daniel Day-Lewis to Star in Steven Spielberg's ''Lincoln''|work=[[/Film]]|author=Fischer, Russ|date=November 19, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Prabhakar |first1=Binoy |title=Anil Ambani's Reliance Entertainment hits Oscar jackpot with Lincoln |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/anil-ambanis-reliance-entertainment-hits-oscar-jackpot-with-lincoln/articleshow/17997552.cms |access-date=April 3, 2019 |work=[[The Economic Times]] |date=January 19, 2022}}</ref> It was distributed by [[20th Century Fox]] in international territories.<ref name=DisneyFox>{{cite web |url=https://www.dreamworksstudios.com/news/fox-partnering-with-dreamworks-on-steven-spielbergs-lincoln |title=Fox Partnering with DreamWorks on Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' |first=Pamela |last=McClintock |date=January 23, 2012 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=June 18, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140701190934/http://dreamworksstudios.com/news/fox-partnering-with-dreamworks-on-steven-spielbergs-lincoln |archive-date=July 1, 2014 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

''Lincoln'' was acclaimed by critics, who lauded its acting (especially Day-Lewis), Spielberg's direction, and its production values. In December 2012, it was nominated for seven [[Golden Globe Award]]s, including [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]], [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for Spielberg, and winning [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama|Best Actor (Motion Picture – Drama)]] for Day-Lewis. At the [[85th Academy Awards]], it was nominated for twelve [[Academy Award]]s including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]] and [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]; it won for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]] and [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]] for Day-Lewis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://stories99.com/2013/02/25/daniel-day-lewis-wins-the-academy-award-for-best-actor-in-a-leading-role/ |title=Daniel Day Lewis Wins the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role | Stories99 |access-date=2013-02-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502230812/http://stories99.com/2013/02/25/daniel-day-lewis-wins-the-academy-award-for-best-actor-in-a-leading-role/ |archive-date=May 2, 2022}}</ref> It was also a commercial success, grossing over $275 million at the box office.<ref name="mojo"/>

== Plot ==

In January 1865, [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] expects the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] to end soon, with the defeat of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate States]]. He is concerned that his 1863 [[Emancipation Proclamation]] may be discarded by the courts after the war and that the proposed [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]] will be defeated by the returning [[slave states]]. He feels it imperative to pass the amendment beforehand, to remove any possibility that freed slaves might be re-enslaved.

The [[Radical Republicans]] fear the amendment will be defeated by some who wish to delay its passage; support from Republicans in the [[Border states (American Civil War)|border states]] is not yet assured. The amendment also requires the support of several [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] congressmen to pass. With dozens of Democrats being [[Lame duck (politics)|lame ducks]] after losing their [[1864 and 1865 United States House of Representatives elections|re-election campaigns in the fall of 1864]], some of Lincoln's advisors believe he should wait for a new Republican-heavy [[38th United States Congress|Congress]]. Lincoln remains adamant about having the amendment in place before the war is concluded and the southern states are re-admitted.

Lincoln's hopes rely upon [[Francis Preston Blair]], a founder of the Republican Party whose influence could win over members of the border state conservative faction. With [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] victory in the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] highly likely but not yet secured, and with two sons serving in the Union Army, Blair is keen to end hostilities quickly before the spring thaw arrives and the armies march again. Therefore, in return for his support, Blair insists that Lincoln allow him to engage the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] government in peace negotiations. However, Lincoln knows that significant support for the amendment comes from Radical Republicans, for whom negotiated peace is unacceptable. Unable to proceed without Blair's support, Lincoln reluctantly authorizes Blair's mission.

In the meantime, Lincoln and [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[William H. Seward|William Seward]] work to secure Democratic votes for the amendment. Lincoln suggests they concentrate on the lame-duck Democrats, as they will feel freer to vote as they choose and soon need employment; Lincoln will have many federal jobs to fill as he begins his second term. Though Lincoln and Seward are unwilling to offer monetary [[bribe]]s to the Democrats, they authorize agents to contact Democratic congressmen with offers of federal jobs in exchange for their support. Meanwhile, Lincoln's son, [[Robert Todd Lincoln|Robert]], returns from [[Harvard Law School|law school]] and announces his intention to discontinue his studies and enlist in the Union Army, hoping to earn a measure of honor and respect outside of his father's shadow before the war's end. Lincoln reluctantly secures an officer's commission for Robert. [[Mary Todd Lincoln|The First Lady]] is aghast, fearing that he will be killed. She furiously presses her husband to pass the amendment and end the war, promising woe upon him if he should fail.

At a critical moment in the debate in the House of Representatives, racial-equality advocate [[Thaddeus Stevens]] agrees to moderate his position and argue that the amendment represents only ''legal'' equality, not a declaration of ''actual'' equality. Meanwhile, Confederate envoys are ready to meet with Lincoln to discuss terms for peace, but he instructs they be kept out of [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] as the amendment approaches a vote on the House floor. Rumor of their mission circulates, prompting both Democrats and conservative Republicans to advocate postponing the vote. In a carefully worded statement, Lincoln denies there are envoys ''in Washington'', and the vote proceeds, passing by a margin of just two votes. Black visitors to the gallery celebrate, and Stevens returns home to [[Lydia Hamilton Smith|his "housekeeper" and lover]], a biracial woman.

When Lincoln [[Hampton Roads Conference|meets with the Confederates]], he tells them slavery cannot be restored, as the North is united for ratification of the amendment, and several of the southern states' reconstructed legislatures would also vote to ratify. As a result, the peace negotiations fail, and the war continues. On April 3, Lincoln visits [[Petersburg National Battlefield|the battlefield]] at [[Petersburg, Virginia]], where he exchanges a few words with Lieutenant General [[Ulysses S. Grant]]. On April 9, Grant receives General [[Robert E. Lee]]'s surrender at [[Battle of Appomattox Court House|Appomattox Courthouse]]. On April 14, a cheerful Lincoln expresses to his wife that they will be happy in the future and later meets members of his cabinet to discuss future measures to [[enfranchisement|enfranchise]] blacks, before [[Assassination of Abraham Lincoln|leaving for Ford's Theatre]]. That night, while Lincoln's son [[Tad Lincoln|Tad]] is watching ''[[Aladdin|Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp]]'' at [[National Theatre (Washington, D.C.)|Grover's Theatre]], the manager suddenly stops the play to announce that the President has been shot. The next morning, at the [[Petersen House]], Lincoln dies with a peaceful expression across his face; in a flashback, Lincoln finishes his [[Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address|second inaugural address]] on March 4.

== Cast ==
'''Lincoln household'''
* [[Daniel Day-Lewis]] as [[President of the United States|United States President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]]<ref name=Slashfilm>{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/daniel-day-lewis-lincoln-steven-spielberg |title=Daniel Day-Lewis to Star in Steven Spielberg's ''Lincoln''|author=Fischer, Russ |date=November 19, 2010 |work=[[/Film]] |access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Sally Field]] as [[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]] [[Mary Todd Lincoln]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/sally-field-lincoln/85875 |title=Sally Field Set to Play Mary Todd Lincoln in Steven Spielberg's LINCOLN |author=Chitwood, Adam |date=April 13, 2011 |work=Collider.com |access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Gloria Reuben]]<ref name=screenrant>{{cite web | url=https://screenrant.com/steven-spielberg-lincoln-cast-sandy-114090/ | title=Spielberg's ''Lincoln'' Casts Every Other Good Actor Under The Sun | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=May 6, 2011 | access-date=November 25, 2022}}</ref> as [[Elizabeth Keckley]], a former slave who was [[dressmaker]] and [[confidant]]e to Mary Todd Lincoln
* [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] as [[Robert Todd Lincoln]]<ref name="Jones&Gordon-Levitt">{{cite web|url=http://themoviemash.com/2011/05/tommy-lee-jones-joseph-gordon-levitt-join-spielbergs-lincoln|title=Tommy Lee Jones & Joseph Gordon-Levitt Join Spielberg's ''Lincoln''|author=Goetz, Barrett |date=May 5, 2011 |work=TheMovieMash.com |access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Gulliver McGrath]] as [[Tad Lincoln]]<ref name=EW>{{cite magazine | last = Labrecque | first = Jeff | title = 'Lincoln': Meet the Cast |magazine=Entertainment Weekly | date = November 28, 2011 | url = https://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20483133_20548946,00.html | access-date =December 1, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Stephen McKinley Henderson]] as Lincoln's valet [[William Slade (valet)|William Slade]]<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Elizabeth Marvel]] as Mrs. Jolly<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Bill Camp]] as Mr. Jolly

'''Union Army'''
* [[Adam Driver]] as [[Samuel Beckwith]], Lincoln's telegraph operator, historically Grant's operator<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Jared Harris]] as [[Lieutenant General (United States)|Lieutenant General]] [[Ulysses S. Grant]]<ref name=Mania/>
*Clarence Key as [[Inspector General]] [[Seth Williams]]
* Asa-Luke Twocrow as [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Ely S. Parker]], a Native American Military Secretary to Grant and drafter of the terms of the [[Confederate Army]]'s surrender at [[Appomattox Court House National Historical Park|Appomattox Court House]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/fullcredits|title=Lincoln (2012) : Full Cast & Crew|website=IMDb.com|access-date=2016-07-27}}</ref>
* [[Colman Domingo]] as Private Harold Green<ref name=Mania/>
* [[David Oyelowo]] as Corporal Ira Clark<ref name="https://www.deadline.com/2011/11/david-oyelowo-joins-steven-spielbergs-lincoln/">{{cite web |url=https://www.deadline.com/2011/11/david-oyelowo-joins-steven-spielbergs-lincoln/ |title=David Oyelowo Joins Steven Spielberg's ''Lincoln''|date=November 18, 2011 | access-date=November 24, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Lukas Haas]] as First White Soldier<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Dane DeHaan]] as Second White Soldier<ref name=Mania/>

'''White House'''
* [[David Strathairn]] as [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[William H. Seward]]. Strathairn played Lincoln in the audiobook of the Lincoln/Douglas debates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/david-strathairn-joins-dreamworks-lincoln-28614|title=David Strathairn Joins DreamWorks' 'Lincoln' |author=Joshua L. Weinstein|date=June 27, 2011 |work=TheWrap.com |access-date=June 28, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Bruce McGill]] as [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[Edwin Stanton|Edwin M. Stanton]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/entertainment_columnists/jeanne_jakle/article/Jeanne-Jakle-McGill-s-profile-going-higher-and-1643484.php |title=Jeanne Jakle: McGill's profile going higher and higher |author=Jeanne Jakle |date=July 30, 2011 |work=mysanantonio.com |access-date=July 30, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Joseph Cross (actor)|Joseph Cross]] as Major [[John Hay]], Lincoln's military secretary
* [[Jeremy Strong (actor)|Jeremy Strong]] as [[John George Nicolay]], Lincoln's [[Secretary to the President of the United States|private secretary]]<ref name=screenrant/><ref name=Mania/>
* [[Grainger Hines]] as [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]] [[Gideon Welles]]<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|title=Lincoln (2012) - Full cast and crew|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/fullcredits|publisher=Imdb.com, Inc.|access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref>
* Richard Topol as [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[James Speed]]<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Dakin Matthews]] as [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]] [[John Palmer Usher]]<ref name=screenrant/><ref name=Mania/>
* Walt Smith as [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]] [[William P. Fessenden]]<ref name=imdb/>
* James Ike Eichling as [[United States Postmaster General|Postmaster General]] [[William Dennison, Jr.]]<ref name=imdb/>

'''House of Representatives'''
* [[Tommy Lee Jones]] as Republican Congressman [[Thaddeus Stevens]] of Pennsylvania.<ref name="Jones&Gordon-Levitt"/> A leader of the [[Radical Republican]]s and a fervent abolitionist, Stevens feared that Lincoln would "turn his back on emancipation."<ref name=Goodwin>{{cite book | last = Goodwin | first = Doris Kearns | author-link = Doris Kearns Goodwin | title = Team of Rivals | publisher = [[Simon & Schuster]] | year = 2006 | pages = 686–754 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=ONhhui9SRsMC&q=Team+of+Rivals | isbn = 978-0-7432-7075-5 }}</ref>
* [[Lee Pace]] as Democratic Congressman [[Fernando Wood]] of New York
* [[Peter McRobbie]] as Democratic Congressman [[George H. Pendleton]] of Ohio, leader of the Democratic opposition
* [[Bill Raymond]] as [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives|Speaker of the House]] [[Schuyler Colfax]] of Indiana, a Republican
* [[David Costabile]] as Republican Congressman [[James Mitchell Ashley|James Ashley]] of Ohio<ref name=screenrant/>
* [[Stephen Spinella]] as radical Republican Congressman Asa Vintner Litton<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Michael Stuhlbarg]] as Democratic Congressman [[George Yeaman]] of Kentucky<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Boris McGiver]] as Democratic Congressman [[Alexander Coffroth]] of Pennsylvania<ref name=screenrant/>
* [[Walton Goggins]] as Democratic Congressman Clay Hawkins of Ohio<ref>{{cite web | title = Walton Goggins Joins Cast Of ''Lincoln''| work = [[Deadline Hollywood]] | date = July 11, 2011 | url = https://www.deadline.com/2011/07/walton-goggins-joins-cast-of-lincoln/ | access-date =November 28, 2022}}</ref>
* [[David Warshofsky]] as Congressman William Hutton, whose brother died in the war<ref name=screenrant/>
* Michael Stanton Kennedy as Republican Congressman [[Hiram Price]] of Iowa
* [[Raynor Scheine]] as Republican Congressman Josiah S. "Beanpole" Burton of Missouri
* [[Christopher Evan Welch]] as [[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives|Clerk of the House]] [[Edward McPherson]]
* [[Wayne Duvall]] as [[Benjamin Wade|Bluff Wade]], an abolitionist radical Republican from Ohio.

'''Republican Party'''
* [[Hal Holbrook]] as [[Francis Preston Blair]].<ref name=screenrant/> Blair was an influential Republican politician who tried to arrange a peace agreement between the Union and the Confederacy. Holbrook portrayed Lincoln in the 1976 miniseries ''Carl Sandburg's Lincoln'' and in the 1980s ''[[North and South (miniseries)|North and South]]'' miniseries.<ref name=Mania>{{cite web | last = Lipton | first = Brian Scott | title = Steven Spielberg's Lincoln Announces Additional Casting | publisher = TheaterMania.com | date = November 28, 2011 | url = https://www.theatermania.com/new-york/news/steven-spielbergs-lincoln-announces-additional-cas_45606.html
| access-date =November 28, 2022}}</ref>
* [[James Spader]] as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] operative [[William N. Bilbo]]. Bilbo had been imprisoned but was freed by Lincoln, then lobbied for passage of the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]].<ref name=screenrant/>
* [[Tim Blake Nelson]]<ref name="https://tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=282&articleid=20110520_282_D1_CUTLIN85225">{{cite web | url=https://tulsaworld.com/scene/article.aspx?subjectid=282&articleid=20110520_282_D1_CUTLIN85225 | title=Tim Blake Nelson tapped for Spielberg's 'Lincoln' film in 2012 | access-date=November 25, 2022}}</ref> as lobbyist [[Richard Schell]]. Schell was a Democratic lobbyist who worked with Republicans to obtain votes in the House for passage of the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution]].
* [[John Hawkes (actor)|John Hawkes]] as Republican operative<ref name=screenrant/> Colonel [[George R. Latham|Robert Latham]]
* Byron Jennings<ref name=screenrant/> as Conservative Republican [[Montgomery Blair]], son of Francis Preston Blair<ref name=Mania/>
* [[Julie White]] as [[Elizabeth Blair Lee]], a daughter of Francis Preston Blair. She wrote hundreds of letters documenting events during the Civil War.<ref name=Mania/>
* [[S. Epatha Merkerson]] as [[Lydia Hamilton Smith|Lydia Smith]], Thaddeus Stevens's biracial housekeeper<ref name=Mania/>
* Wayne Duvall as [[Radical Republican]] Senator [[Benjamin Wade|Benjamin "Bluff Ben" Wade]]
* John Hutton as Senator [[Charles Sumner]]<ref name=imdb/>

'''Confederate States'''
* [[Jackie Earle Haley]] as [[Vice President of the Confederate States of America|Confederate States Vice President]] [[Alexander H. Stephens]].<ref name=VP>{{cite news|last=Vincent |first=Mal |title=Spielberg's 'Lincoln' takes Richmond |newspaper=[[The Virginian-Pilot]] |location=[[Norfolk, Virginia]] |date=October 14, 2011 |url=http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/spielbergs-lincoln-takes-richmond |access-date=October 15, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015093455/http://hamptonroads.com/2011/10/spielbergs-lincoln-takes-richmond |archive-date=October 15, 2022}}</ref> Stephens had served with Lincoln in Congress as [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]] party representatives from 1847 to 1849. He met with Lincoln on the steamboat ''[[River Queen (steamboat)|River Queen]]'' at the unsuccessful [[Hampton Roads Conference]] on February 3, 1865.
* [[Gregory Itzin]] as [[John Archibald Campbell]].<ref name=Mania/> Campbell was a former Supreme Court Justice who resigned at the start of the war, 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.
* Michael Shiflett as the third Confederate delegate to Hampton Roads, Senate President [[Robert M. T. Hunter]]
* Christopher Boyer (non-speaking role) as [[Robert E. Lee]]

== Production ==
=== Development ===
{{Multiple image
| perrow = 2
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| image1 = Steven Spielberg by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| image2 = Tony Kushner - Hollywood and Socialism - The Laura Flanders Show 2.png
| footer = Director [[Steven Spielberg]] and screenwriter [[Tony Kushner]]
}}
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.<ref name=millenium>{{cite news|author=Ruben V. Nepales |title=Spielberg may co-direct next with Peter Jackson |newspaper=[[Philippine Daily Inquirer]] |date=May 18, 2008 |url=http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080518-137261/Spielberg-may-co-direct-next-with-Peter-Jackson |access-date=May 18, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080518115708/http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/entertainment/entertainment/view/20080518-137261/Spielberg-may-co-direct-next-with-Peter-Jackson |archive-date=May 18, 2022}}</ref> DreamWorks finalized the deal in 2001,<ref name=neesoncast>{{cite news | author = Michael Fleming | title = Lincoln logs in at DreamWorks: Spielberg, Neeson eye Abe pic | work = [[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | date = January 11, 2005 | url = https://variety.com/2005/film/features/lincoln-logs-in-at-dreamworks-1117916168/ | access-date = March 11, 2022}}</ref> and by the end of the year, [[John Logan (writer)|John Logan]] signed on to write the script.<ref>{{cite news | title = Logan Scripting Spielberg's Lincoln | work = [[IGN]] | date = December 7, 2001 | url = http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/316/316756p1.html | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130103075626/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/316/316756p1.html | url-status=dead | archive-date = January 3, 2013 | access-date = July 21, 2008 }}</ref> His draft focused on Lincoln's friendship with [[Frederick Douglass]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Lincoln Update|work=[[IGN]]|date=January 23, 2003|url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/383/383505p1.html|access-date=July 21, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213060436/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/383/383505p1.html|archive-date=December 13, 2010|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Playwright Paul Webb was hired to rewrite, and filming was set to begin in January 2006,<ref name=neesoncast/> but Spielberg delayed it out of dissatisfaction with the script.<ref>{{cite news | author = Ron Grover | title = The Director's Cut | work = [[BusinessWeek]] | date = April 17, 2006 | url = https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/magazine/content/06_16/b3980090.htm | access-date=August 10, 2022}}</ref> [[Liam Neeson]] said Webb's draft covered the entirety of Lincoln's term as president.<ref name=months>{{cite news|author=Jeffrey Wells |title=Spielberg's Lincoln in December? |publisher=Hollywood Elsewhere |date=February 2, 2009 |url=http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2009/02/spielbergs_linc_2.php |access-date=February 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212062853/http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/2009/02/spielbergs_linc_2.php |archive-date=February 12, 2022}}</ref>

[[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 any more than I understand how [[William Shakespeare]] wrote ''[[Hamlet]]'' or [[Mozart]] wrote ''[[Così fan tutte]]''." Kushner said Lincoln's [[Abraham Lincoln and slavery|abolitionist ideals]] made him appealing to a Jewish writer, and although he felt [[Abraham Lincoln and religion|Lincoln was Christian]], he noted the president rarely quoted the [[New Testament]] and that his "thinking and his ethical deliberation seem very [[talmud]]ic".<ref>{{cite news|author=Naomi Pffefferman|title=Kushner's (old) testament to Lincoln|work=[[The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]]|date=October 26, 2007|url=https://jewishjournal.com/culture/arts/15573/|access-date=March 11, 2022}}</ref> By late 2008, Kushner joked he was on his "967,000th book about Abraham Lincoln".<ref>{{cite news|author=Karen Bovard|title=Lincoln Logs|work=[[Advocate Weekly Newspapers#Hartford Advocate|Hartford Advocate]]|date=November 20, 2008|url=http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=10614|access-date=November 23, 2022}}</ref> 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 to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]].<ref name=months/>

=== Casting ===
Spielberg approached [[Daniel Day-Lewis]] about the project in 2003, but Day-Lewis turned down the part at the time, believing the idea of himself playing Lincoln "preposterous".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/movies/daniel-day-lewis-on-playing-abraham-lincoln.html|title=Abraham Lincoln As You've Never Heard Him Before|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 31, 2012 |access-date=2016-07-27|last1=McGrath |first1=Charles }}</ref> [[Liam Neeson]] was cast as Lincoln in January 2005, having worked previously with Spielberg in ''[[Schindler's List]]''.<ref name=neesoncast/> In preparation for the role, Neeson studied Lincoln extensively.<ref>{{cite news |author=Max Evry |title=Liam Neeson Talks Lincoln |publisher=[[ComingSoon.net]] |date=January 24, 2007 |url=https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=18545 |access-date =May 12, 2022}}</ref> However, in July 2010, Neeson left the project, saying that he had grown too old for the part. Neeson was 58 at the time, and Lincoln, during the period depicted, was 55 and 56.<ref>{{cite news|author=Simon Reynolds|title=Neeson quits Spielberg's Lincoln biopic|work=Digital Spy|date=July 30, 2010|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a253207/neeson-quits-spielbergs-lincoln-biopic/}}</ref> In an interview with ''[[GQ]],'' Neeson said he realized during a table read that the part was not right for him in "a thunderbolt moment" and after the read requested that Spielberg recast his role.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hainey|first1=Michael|title=The GQ Cover Story: Liam Neeson|url=https://www.gq.com/entertainment/celebrities/201404/liam-neeson-cover-story-april-2014?currentPage=3|website=GQ|date=March 27, 2014 |access-date=12 January 2015|page=3}}</ref> Co-star [[Sally Field]], in a 2012 [[PBS]] interview, intimated that Neeson's decision was influenced by the death of his wife [[Natasha Richardson]] less than a year earlier.<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Actress Sally Field, Part 1 |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/2305224071/ |series=[[Tavis Smiley (TV series)|Tavis Smiley]] |network=[[PBS]] |airdate=November 15, 2012 |season=9 |minutes=08:00 |access-date=January 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122232332/http://video.pbs.org/video/2305224071/ |archive-date=November 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a9370/liam-neeson-0311/ |title=The Hard Luck and Beautiful Life of Liam Neeson |work=Esquire |publisher=Hearst Communications |author=Tom Chiarella |date=February 15, 2011 |access-date=January 11, 2022}}</ref> In November 2010, it was announced that Day-Lewis would replace Neeson in the role.<ref name=Guardian>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/nov/19/daniel-day-lewis-spielberg-lincoln|title=Daniel Day-Lewis set for Steven Spielberg's Lincoln film|work=The Guardian |author=Shoard, Catherine|date=November 19, 2010|access-date=November 19, 2022}}</ref>

While promoting ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]'' in May 2008, Spielberg announced his intention to start filming in early 2009,<ref>{{cite news |author=Sheigh Crabtree |title=Steven Spielberg: He wants to shoot 'Abraham Lincoln' in 2009 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=May 10, 2008 |url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2008/05/steven-spielber.html |access-date=May 10, 2022}}</ref> for release in November, ten months after the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth.<ref name=millenium/> In January 2009, [[Taunton, Massachusetts|Taunton]] and [[Dighton, Massachusetts]] were being scouted as potential locations.<ref>{{cite news|author=Charles Winokoor|title=Film crews may be back in Silver City|work=[[Taunton Daily Gazette]]|date=February 7, 2009|url=https://www.tauntongazette.com/x1851008232/Film-crews-may-be-back-in-Silver-City|access-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref> 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 (film)|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 had collaborated with DreamWorks on the film's development.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kim Masters|title=Spielberg's Lincoln Troubles|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=February 17, 2009|url=http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/impressions/2009/02/17/spielbergs-lincoln-troubles|access-date=February 18, 2022}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
Filming took place in [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]], [[Fredericksburg, Virginia|Fredericksburg]], and [[Petersburg, Virginia]]. In reference to Petersburg, 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".<ref>{{cite news|last=Wiggins|first=F.M.|title=Lincoln film to come to Petersburg next month|newspaper=[[The Progress-Index]]|location=[[Petersburg, Virginia]]|date=November 17, 2011|url=https://www.progress-index.com/news/lincoln-film-to-come-to-petersburg-next-month-1.1233817#axzz1f397gd9g|access-date=November 28, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111128194647/http://progress-index.com/news/lincoln-film-to-come-to-petersburg-next-month-1.1233817#axzz1f397gd9g|archive-date=November 28, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The [[Virginia State Capitol]] served as the exteriors and interiors of the U.S Capitol, and the exteriors of the [[White House]]. The House of Delegates inside the building was remodeled to fit for the House of Representatives Chamber set. Scenes representing Grover's Theatre were filmed in [[Richmond, Virginia]] at Virginia Repertory Theatre's [[Theatre IV|November Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web|title=IMDb> Lincoln (2012)> Filming locations|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443272/locations?|publisher=imdb.com|access-date=July 27, 2022}}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{Main|Lincoln (soundtrack)}}
[[John Williams]] composed and conducted the score. It was recorded by the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]] and the [[Chicago Symphony Chorus]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/john-williams-tracklist-for-score-to-steven-spielbergs-lincoln-is-suitably-important-historical-20120823#|title=John Williams' Tracklist For Score To Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Is Suitably Important & Historical|access-date=August 27, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120825000425/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/john-williams-tracklist-for-score-to-steven-spielbergs-lincoln-is-suitably-important-historical-20120823|archive-date=August 25, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/new/John-Williams-Lincoln-Score-Gently-Spoils-Few-Key-Scenes-32640.html|title=John Williams' Lincoln Score Gently Spoils A Few Key Scenes|date=August 24, 2012 |access-date=September 30, 2022}}</ref> The soundtrack album was released by [[Sony Classical]] on November 2, 2012.

All music was composed by Williams except "[[Battle Cry of Freedom]]," which was written in 1862 by American composer [[George Frederick Root]] (1820–1895) during the [[American Civil War]]. Williams composed Track 6, "With Malice Toward None", for Chris Martin, principal trumpeter of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the time.<ref>{{Citation|title=Chris Martin live on Sarah´s Horn Hangouts|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdQerrrx7Po| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211102/zdQerrrx7Po| archive-date=2021-11-02 | url-status=live|language=en|access-date=2019-11-10}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Release ==
''Lincoln'' premiered at the [[New York Film Festival]] on October 8, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=Finke|first=Nikki|title=Surprise: Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' To Premiere Monday At New York Film Festival|url=https://www.deadline.com/2012/10/surprise-steven-spielbergs-lincoln-to-premiere-monday-at-new-york-film-festival/|access-date=May 28, 2014|newspaper=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 4, 2022}}</ref> It was also screened at the [[American Film Institute|2012 AFI Film Festival]] on November 8, 2012.<ref>{{cite news|last=Chan|first=Stephanie|title=Steven Spielberg Receives Standing Ovation at 'Lincoln' L.A. Premiere|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lincoln-premiere-steven-spielberg-daniel-388077|access-date=May 28, 2014|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 9, 2022}}</ref> [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures]] distributed it in North America under its [[Touchstone Pictures]] banner, while [[20th Century Fox]] distributed it internationally.<ref name=DisneyFox/> [[Disney Publishing Worldwide]] released several companion books and ancillary literature in anticipation of the film, including ''Lincoln: A Cinematic and Historical Companion'' and ''Lincoln: A Spielberg Film – Discover the Story''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Henderson|first=Jane|title=A few books tied to Spielberg's 'Lincoln'|url=https://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/book-blog/a-few-books-tied-to-spielberg-s-lincoln/article_aa76e6f4-3982-5723-8970-c0cb0ff88883.html|access-date=14 February 2013|newspaper=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]|date=16 November 2022}}</ref> DreamWorks and [[Google Play]] released the film's trailer during a [[Google+]] hangout with Spielberg and [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] on September 13, 2012.<ref>{{cite news| title = Lincoln Google Hangout and Trailer Premiere Announced for September 13th| newspaper = [[ComingSoon.net]]| location = [[Los Angeles]], [[California|CA]]| date = September 4, 2012| url = https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94361| access-date =September 4, 2022}}</ref> A teaser trailer was released on September 10, 2012.<ref>{{cite news| title = Take a Sneak Peek at Steven Spielberg's Lincoln Trailer| newspaper = [[ComingSoon.net]]| location = Los Angeles, CA| date = September 10, 2012| url = https://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=94591| access-date =September 10, 2022}}</ref>

''Lincoln'' was released by [[Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment|Touchstone Home Entertainment]] on [[Blu-ray]], [[DVD]], and [[digital distribution|digital download]] in North America on March 26, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Steven Spielberg's Oscar nominated ''Lincoln'' comes to Blu-ray in March |url=https://highdefdiscnews.com/steven-spielbergs-oscar-nominated-lincoln-comes-to-blu-ray-in-march/ |access-date=8 April 2013 |author=Justin Sluss |date=10 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112042021/http://www.highdefdiscnews.com/steven-spielbergs-oscar-nominated-lincoln-comes-to-blu-ray-in-march/ |archive-date=January 12, 2022}}</ref> It debuted at No. 1 in Blu-ray and DVD sales in its first week.<ref>{{cite news|title='Lincoln' top DVD and Blu-ray seller; 'Argo' top rental|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-top-dvd-and-bluray-seller-renter-20130408,0,4537178,full.story|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130615044632/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-top-dvd-and-bluray-seller-renter-20130408,0,4537178,full.story|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 June 2013|access-date=24 April 2013|newspaper=The Los Angeles Times|date=8 April 2022}}</ref> [[Disney Educational Productions]] donated DVDs and a teaching guide, ''Stand Tall: Live Like Lincoln,'' to more than 37,100 [[Secondary education in the United States|secondary schools]] in the [[United States]] after Spielberg received letters from educators who wished to incorporate the film into their [[curriculum]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Ford|first=Rebecca|title='Lincoln' DVDs to Go to All U.S. Middle and High Schools|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lincoln-dvds-go-all-us-420683|access-date=30 March 2013|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=11 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Disney will give "Lincoln" DVD to every middle, high school in U.S.|url=https://www.denverpost.com/2013/02/12/disney-will-give-lincoln-dvd-to-every-middle-high-school-in-u-s/|access-date=30 March 2013|newspaper=The Denver Post|date=12 February 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Solis|first=Liana|title=Disney announces it will donate ''Lincoln'' movie to schools|url=http://www.dailytoreador.com/lavida/article_eca11002-7a47-11e2-9d5b-0019bb30f31a.html|access-date=19 March 2013|newspaper=The Daily Toreador|date=18 February 2022}}</ref>

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
''Lincoln'' earned $182,207,973 in North America from 2,293 theaters and $93,085,477 overseas for a total of $275,293,450, well exceeding its $65 million budget. The film had a limited opening in 11 theaters with $944,308 and an average of $85,846 per theater. It opened at the #15 rank, becoming the highest opening of a film with such a limited release. It opened in 1,175 theaters with $21,049,406 and an average of $11,859 per theater.<ref name="mojo"/> Disney produced additional prints of the film to accommodate theater demand.<ref>{{cite news|last=Lang|first=Derrick|title='Lincoln' Box Office So Strong, Disney Having Hard Time Keeping Up With Demand|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/lincoln-box-office_n_2236611.html|access-date=12 January 2013|newspaper=The Huffington Post|date=December 3, 2022}}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
''Lincoln'' received widespread critical acclaim. The cast was lauded, especially Day-Lewis, Field and Jones. The film holds an 89% approval rating on the review aggregation website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 284 reviews with an average rating of 8.00/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Daniel Day-Lewis characteristically delivers in this witty, dignified portrait that immerses the audience in its world and entertains even as it informs."<ref name="rt">{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lincoln_2011/ |title=Lincoln (2012) |publisher=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 3, 2021 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], which assigns a rating out of 100 based on reviews from critics, the film has a score of 86 (out of 100) based on 44 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim", thus making it Spielberg's highest-rated film on the site since ''[[Saving Private Ryan]].''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/lincoln |title=Lincoln |publisher=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=November 21, 2022}}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-02-28 |website=[[CinemaScore]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
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| image1 = Daniel Day-Lewis, Jaguar, Mille Miglia 2013 cropped.jpg
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| image2 = Tommy Lee Jones 2017.jpg
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| footer = The performances of (left to right) [[Daniel Day-Lewis]], [[Tommy Lee Jones]], and [[Sally Field]] garnered critical acclaim and were nominated for [[Academy Award]]s, with Day-Lewis winning.
| image3 = Sally Field (11205) (cropped).jpg
}}

[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film 4 out of 4 stars and said, "The hallmark of the man, performed so powerfully by Daniel Day-Lewis in ''Lincoln'', is calm self-confidence, patience and a willingness to play politics in a realistic way."<ref>{{cite web |author=Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lincoln-2012 |title= A saintly wheeler-dealer |access-date=November 1, 2020 }}</ref> Glenn Kenny of [[MSN|MSN Movies]] gave it 5 out of 5 stars stating, "It's the most remarkable movie Steven Spielberg has made in quite a spell, and one of the things that makes it remarkable is how it fulfills those expectations by simultaneously ignoring and transcending them."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-critic-reviews/lincoln.2/ |title=Review by Glenn Kenny (MSN Movies) |access-date=January 3, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115022239/http://movies.msn.com/movies/movie-critic-reviews/lincoln.2/ |archive-date=January 15, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Colin Covert of the ''[[Star Tribune]]'' wrote, "''Lincoln'' is one of those rare projects where a great director, a great actor and a great writer amplify one another's gifts. The team of Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis and Tony Kushner has brought forth a triumphant piece of historical journalism, a profound work of popular art and a rich examination of one of our darkest epochs."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/179531811.html?refer=y |title=Making history with 'Lincoln' |website=[[Star Tribune]] |access-date=January 11, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112033933/http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/179531811.html?refer=y |archive-date=January 12, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Charlie McCollum of the ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'' called the film "one of the finest historical dramas ever committed to film."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/11/07/review-an-epic-lincoln/|title=Review: An epic 'Lincoln'|newspaper=[[San Jose Mercury News]]|last=McCollum|first=Charlie|date=2012-11-07}}</ref> Despite mostly positive reviews, [[Rex Reed]] of ''[[The New York Observer]]'' wrote, "In all, there's too much material, too little revelation and almost nothing of Spielberg's reliable cinematic flair." However, reviewers were unanimous in their praise of Day-Lewis's performance.

[[A. O. Scott]] from ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that the film "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".<ref name="NYT20121108">{{cite news|last=Scott|first=A. O.|title=A President Engaged in a Great Civil War|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/movies/lincoln-by-steven-spielberg-stars-daniel-day-lewis.html|access-date=9 November 2012|newspaper=The New York Times|date=8 November 2022}}</ref> He also said 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."<ref name="NYT20121108"/>

As reported in the ''[[Maariv (newspaper)|Maariv]]'' newspaper, on February 3, 2013, Israeli Prime Minister [[Netanyahu]] and his ministers discussed Spielberg's film, which several of them saw in Israeli cinemas. They debated whether the end of abolishing slavery justified the means used by Lincoln, and compared Lincoln's predicament with their own complicated situation in the confusing aftermath of the [[2013 Israeli elections]].<ref>Shalom Yerushalmi, "Throne Games" ([[Hebrew]]: משחקי הכס), a commentary on the week's political events, ''[[Maariv]]'', Feb. 8, 2013</ref>

=== Historian response ===
[[Eric Foner]] ([[Columbia University]]), a [[Pulitzer Prize]]-winning historian of the period, claimed in a letter to ''The New York Times'' that "The film grossly exaggerates the possibility that by January 1865 the war might have ended with slavery still intact." He also noted, "The 13th Amendment originated not with Lincoln but with a petition campaign early in 1864 organized by the [[Women's National Loyal League]], an organization of abolitionist women headed by [[Susan B. Anthony]] and [[Elizabeth Cady Stanton]]."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/opinion/lincolns-use-of-politics-for-noble-ends.html |title=Lincoln's Use of Politics for Noble Ends|newspaper=New York Times |date=2012-11-26 |access-date=2012-12-04}}</ref> [[Kate Masur]] ([[Northwestern University]]) accused the film of oversimplifying the role of blacks in [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolition]] and dismissed the effort as "an opportunity squandered" in an [[op-ed]] for ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{cite news|author=Kate Masur |author-link=Kate Masur|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/opinion/in-spielbergs-lincoln-passive-black-characters.html |title=In Spielberg's ''Lincoln'', Passive Black Characters |newspaper=New York Times |date=2012-11-12 |access-date=2012-12-04}}</ref> Harold Holzer, the co-chair of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Foundation and author of more than 40 books, served as a consultant to the film and praised it, but also observed that there is "no shortage of small historical bloopers in the movie" in a piece for ''[[The Daily Beast]]''. Holzer states, "As for the Spielberg movie's opening scene ... it is almost inconceivable that any uniformed soldier of the day (or civilians, for that matter) would have memorized a speech that, however ingrained in modern memory, did not achieve any semblance of a national reputation until the 20th century."<ref>{{cite web|author=Harold Holzer |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/whats-true-and-false-in-lincoln-movie |title=What's True and False in ''Lincoln'' Movie |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=2012-11-22 |access-date=2012-12-04}}</ref>

Barry Bradford, a member of the [[Organization of American Historians]], offered an analysis of some of the finer historical points of the film's representation of clothing, relationships and appearance.<ref>{{cite web|author=Barry Bradford |url=http://barrybradford.com/is-the-lincoln-movie-historically-accurate/ |title=Is the Lincoln Movie Historically Accurate?|date=November 29, 2012 }}</ref> [[Allen Guelzo]] ([[Gettysburg College]]), also writing for ''The Daily Beast'', had some plot criticism, but disagreed with Holzer: "The pains that have been taken in the name of historical authenticity in this movie are worth hailing just on their own terms".<ref>{{cite web|last=Frum |first=David |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-civil-war-professor-reviews-lincoln |title=A Civil War Professor Reviews 'Lincoln' |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |date=2012-11-27 |access-date=2012-12-04}}</ref> In a later interview with the ''[[World Socialist Web Site]]'', Guelzo claimed that "the film was 90 percent on the mark, which given the way Hollywood usually does history is saying something" and that it "got with reasonable accuracy a lot of Lincoln's character, the characters of the main protagonists, and the overall debate over the 13th Amendment. The acting and screenwriting were especially well done... I had never thought that Daniel Day-Lewis was acting, because what he portrayed seemed so close to my own mental image of what Lincoln must have been like."<ref>{{cite web|title=Understanding Lincoln: An interview with historian Allen Guelzo|url=https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/04/03/guel-a03.html|work=World Socialist Web Site|access-date=15 April 2022}}</ref> A historian has suggested that the depiction of Lincoln's high pitched voice, somewhat awkward mannerisms and even how he walked was remarkably accurate.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Roland |first1=Nicholas |title=A Historian Views Spielberg's Lincoln (2012) |url=https://notevenpast.org/historian-views-spielbergs-lincoln/ |website=Not Even Past|date=November 25, 2012 }}</ref>

David Stewart, an independent historical author, writing for History News Network, described Spielberg's work as "reasonably solid history", and told readers of HNN to "go see it with a clear conscience".<ref>{{cite web |author=David O. Stewart |url=http://hnn.us/articles/how-true-lincoln |title=How True is "Lincoln"? |publisher=History News Network |date=November 20, 2012 |access-date=2012-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127212605/http://hnn.us/articles/how-true-lincoln |archive-date=November 27, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lincoln biographer Ronald White also admired the film, though he noted a few mistakes and pointed out in an interview with [[NPR]], "Is every word true? No."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.booksnreview.com/articles/1729/20121123/fact-checking-steven-spielbergs-lincoln-movie-biographer.htm |title=Fact-Checking Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' Movie with Biographer Ronald C. White |work=Books & Review |date=2012-11-23 |access-date=2012-12-04}}</ref>

Historian [[Joshua M. Zeitz]], writing in ''[[The Atlantic]]'', noted some minor mistakes, but concluded that "''Lincoln'' is not a perfect film, but it is an important film".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/11/fact-checking-lincoln-lincolns-mostly-realistic-his-advisers-arent/265073/ |title=Fact-Checking 'Lincoln': Lincoln's Mostly Realistic; His Advisers Aren't – Joshua Zeitz |magazine=The Atlantic |access-date=2012-12-04}}</ref> Following a screening during the film's opening weekend, the [[Minnesota]] Civil War Commemoration Task Force held a panel discussion in which Dr. David Woodard of [[Concordia University (Saint Paul)|Concordia University]] remarked, "I always look at these films to see if a regular person who wasn't a 'Lincoln nut' would want to read a book about it after they watched the movie. I get the impression that most people who are not history buffs will now want to read something about Lincoln."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://thisweekinthecivilwar.com/?p=1413 |title=Panel Discussion for the film LINCOLN |publisher=This Week in the Civil War |date=2013-01-16 |access-date=2013-02-23}}</ref>

Regarding the historical source material for Kushner's screenplay, legal historian Michael Vorenberg, a professor at [[Brown University]] and author of ''Final Freedom: The Civil War, The Abolition of Slavery, and the Thirteenth Amendment'',<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/final-freedom/45C6C7D32B92EB539185819556404405|title=Final Freedom by Michael Vorenberg|last=Vorenberg|first=Michael|date=May 2001|website=Cambridge Core|doi=10.1017/CBO9780511511691 |isbn=9780521652674 |access-date=2019-01-28}}</ref> noted several details throughout the film that "could only have come from [his] book."<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/111810/tony-kushners-real-source-lincoln|title=Tony Kushner's Real Source For "Lincoln"?|last=Noah |first=Timothy|date=2013-01-10|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=2019-01-28|issn=0028-6583}}</ref> Among these details were specifics of dealings between Democrats and Thaddeus Stevens, the story behind securing Alexander Coffroth's vote and the fact that African Americans were present in the congressional galleries during the final vote.<ref name=":0"/> Ultimately, Kushner replied directly to inquiries from ''[[The New Republic]]'' writer Timothy Noah, explaining that while he had read Vorenberg's book and many others as research, he insists that ''Team of Rivals'' was his principal source material.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/111833/kushner-replies-about-sources|title=Kushner Replies About Sources|last=Noah|first=Timothy|date=2013-01-11|magazine=The New Republic|access-date=2019-01-28|issn=0028-6583}}</ref>

=== Effect on the Thirteenth Amendment regarding Mississippi ===
Dr. Ranjan Batra stated he was inspired to investigate the history of the [[Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Thirteenth Amendment]] in Mississippi after seeing ''Lincoln''. This led him to find out that although the Thirteenth Amendment was adopted throughout the country in 1865, Mississippi's formal ratification of the amendment in 1995 was not official because the US Archivist was never officially notified of it.

Batra informed his colleague Ken Sullivan about this, and when Sullivan saw ''Lincoln'', he said he was further inspired to fix the matter. Sullivan subsequently contacted Mississippi Secretary of State [[Delbert Hosemann]] to make the ratification official, which he did in 2013, thus meaning Mississippi officially ratified the Thirteenth Amendment at that time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/02/mississippi-officially-abolishes-slavery-ratifies-13th-amendment|title=Mississippi Officially Abolishes Slavery, Ratifies 13th Amendment|author=|website=ABC News}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{{main|List of accolades received by Lincoln (film)}}

==== Top ten lists ====
''Lincoln'' was listed on many critics' top ten lists.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/feature/top-ten-lists-best-movies-of-2012 |title=Film Critic Top 10 Lists - Best of 2012 |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=2016-07-27}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* 1st – [[David Denby]], ''[[The New Yorker]]'' (tied with ''[[Zero Dark Thirty]]'')
* 1st – [[Owen Gleiberman]], ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
* 1st – [[Stephen Holden]], ''[[The New York Times]]''
* 1st – [[Mick LaSalle]], ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]''
* 2nd – [[Lisa Schwarzbaum]], ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
* 2nd – [[David Edelstein]], ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]''
* 2nd – Betsy Sharkey, ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' (tied with ''[[Django Unchained]]'')
* 2nd – [[Christopher Orr (film critic)|Christopher Orr]], ''[[The Atlantic]]''
* 2nd – [[Michael Phillips (critic)|Michael Phillips]], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''
* 2nd – Ann Hornaday, ''[[The Washington Post]]''
* 2nd – ''[[Huffington Post]]''
* 2nd – [[A. O. Scott]], ''[[The New York Times]]''
* 3rd – [[Roger Ebert]], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
* 3rd – Mike Scott, ''[[The Times-Picayune]]''
* 3rd – [[James Berardinelli]], ''ReelViews''
* 3rd – Mary Pols, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]''
* 3rd – [[Dana Stevens (critic)|Dana Stevens]], ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]''
* 4th – [[Peter Travers]], ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
* 4th – Rene Rodriguez, ''[[Miami Herald]]''
* 4th – Bill Goodykoontz, ''[[Arizona Republic]]''
* 4th – Joshua Rothkopf, ''[[Time Out New York]]''
* 4th – Alison Willmore, ''[[The A.V. Club]]''
* 4th – [[Steven Rea]], ''[[Philadelphia Inquirer]]''
* 5th – [[Anne Thompson (film critic)|Anne Thompson]], [[IndieWire]]
* 5th – Joe Neumaier, ''[[New York Daily News]]''
* 6th – [[Ty Burr]], ''[[Boston Globe]]''
* 6th – David Fear, ''[[Time Out New York]]''
* 6th – Kristopher Tapley, [[HitFix]]
* 6th – Jake Coyle, [[Associated Press]]
* 6th – Andrew O'Hehir, [[Salon.com]]
* 7th – [[Glenn Kenny]], [[MSN Movies]]
* 8th – David Germain, [[Associated Press]]
* 8th – Lisa Kennedy, ''[[The Denver Post]]''
* 10th – Melissa Anderson, ''[[Village Voice]]''
* 10th – [[Richard Roeper]], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically) – [[Bob Mondello]], [[NPR]]
* Top 10 (ranked alphabetically) – Claudia Puig, ''[[USA Today]]''
* Top 10 (listed alphabetically) – [[Joe Morgenstern]], ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]''
* Best of 2012 (listed alphabetically, not ranked) – [[Kenneth Turan]], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''{{div col end}}

== See also ==
* [[Cultural depictions of Abraham Lincoln]]
* [[List of films featuring slavery]]
{{Portal|American Civil War|Film}}

==Notes==

{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* Mitchell, Mary Niall. "Seeing Lincoln: Spielberg's Film and the Visual Culture of the Nineteenth Century," ''Rethinking History'' 19 (Sept. 2015), 493–505.
* {{cite journal|journal = American Literary History| date =Winter 2013| volume = 25| issue = 4| pages = 896–914| doi =10.1093/alh/ajt044|last=Dimock |first= Wai Chee | title = Crowdsourcing History: Ishmael Reed, Tony Kushner, and Steven Spielberg Update the Civil War| s2cid =144293300}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote|Lincoln (2012 film)}}
* {{IMDb title|0443272|Lincoln}}
* {{tcmdb title|870245|Lincoln}}
* {{AllRovi movie|530126|Lincoln}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|lincoln_2011|Lincoln}}
* {{Metacritic film|title=Lincoln}}
* {{Mojo title|lincoln|Lincoln}}
* [https://archive.today/20130411013343/http://dep.disney.go.com/lincoln/home ''Lincoln'' Learning Hub] at [[Disney.com]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131207100214/http://thelincolnmovie.com/media/LincolnProductionNotes.pdf Official production notes]

{{Steven Spielberg}}
{{Abraham Lincoln}}
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
{{Authority control}}

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Lincoln (film)