Thoughtful Movie

Michael did his first paid babysitting job today so that Chewy and I could go see the Spielberg Lincoln movie. (He did a good job--although when we got home Willow was at the kitchen table and he was playing a computer game--as she often says "AH-hem!")

I grew up reading and re-reading Carl Sandburg's Lincoln biographies. I devoured anything Lincoln when I was a kid. My parents even took me to this museum a few times during summer vacations (a highlight for me was the collection of political cartoons).

I read almost anything I see new about Abraham Lincoln, about the assassination, etc.  A highlight of visiting Washington D.C. for me was going on a 90 minute walking tour of Lincoln's Washington with a Lincoln historian (Michael in a stroller sleeping his way through it all).    I have read A Team of Rivals twice (and after seeing this movie--probably will read it again).

So, I was thrilled to get to go see this movie. Although I found a few things heavy handed (the opening and closing scenes were too sappy even for me), and I am just not becoming a fan of Sally Field from the recent performances I have seen...the rest of the movie was excellent!

I loved the fact that he kept the scope of this movie to a small portion of time--and to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.  This was one of the best movies I have seen that showed the inner working of politics.  And Lincoln was such a politician.  I loved the wrangling and various strategies.

I also felt that the movie did what only the best of movies do--transport me, make me feel a part of that time and place.  The costuming, the hair...I felt like I had been transported in time and was meeting Lincoln himself.

Daniel Day Lewis--who's he?  I saw Lincoln up there.  And that was just awesome.

(Wow, two cool Lincoln movies this year--makes my Lincoln heart happy!)