The Hours That Changed History

Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Tommy Lee Jones, John Hawkes, Jackie Earle Haley, Bruce McGill, Tim Blake Nelson, Jared Harris, Lee Pace

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I can't listen to this anymore. I can't accomplish a goddamn thing of any human meaning or worth until we cure ourselves of slavery and end this pestilential war! And whether any of you or anyone else knows it. I know! I need this! This amendment is that cure!" - Abraham Lincoln

Why watch this? Folks laud our colonial forefathers... they should look to Lincoln instead.

Plot Summary: In January 1865, President Abraham Lincoln fights to pass the 13th Amendment to permanently abolish slavery before the Civil War concludes and returning southern states can veto it. He employs a team of political operatives to secure the necessary votes from a reluctant Congress, relying on intense lobbying and strategic compromises. While navigating this high-stakes legislative battle, Lincoln manages intense pressure from his cabinet, a tumultuous family life, and the moral weight of continuing the war.

Dad's Preview: It was the pivotal moment in U.S. history. The mistake of accepting slavery as a thing on our shores had brought us to a Civil War. North vs. South. Brother vs. brother. Lincoln, portrayed by the great Daniel Day-Lewis, knew in his heart that slavery must be abolished to enable our nation to honestly live by its constitutional tenet that "all men are created equal". This Spielberg effort, though a bit long on speeches and homespun musings, brilliantly encapsulates the mind of America's last great non-partisan leader. Its all-star cast is amazing, and Sally Fields shines as Mary, Mr. Lincoln's loving but firm wife. Abe was my kind of person. Frank. Mostly honest. A lover of amusing tales. Yet, a man who could see clearly the right path for a nation. For this he was assassinated. Let that sink in. 

DreamWorks Pics, 20th Century Fox, Participant Media,
Reliance Ent., Dune Ent., Amblin Ent., The Kennedy/Marshall Co.;
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures