killing lincoln movie review

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Killing Lincoln

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Adrian Moat

Billy Campbell

Abraham Lincoln

Jesse Johnson

John Wilkes Booth

Geraldine Hughes

Mary Todd Lincoln

Graham Beckel

Edwin Stanton

Shawn Pyfrom

Pvt. John W. Nichols

‘Killing Lincoln’ review: An epic tale tediously told

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On networks with historical bents, there is always a fair amount of Lincoln-mania this time of year — PBS’ “American Experience” just repeated its excellent miniseries “Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided,” — and what with Steven Spielberg’s big screen “Lincoln” steadily amassing statuary, it’s safe to say, things have reached a fever pitch, putting us well into the counterintuitive stage, i.e., let’s have a look at the other guy.

“Killing Lincoln,” a docu-drama that focuses on John Wilkes Booth and the conspiracy that led to the 16th president’s murder, is billed as a “two-hour global event,” produced by Ridley and the late Tony Scott from the bestselling book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard. It is narrated by Tom Hanks, and stars Billy Campbell (“The Killing”) as Lincoln and Jesse Johnson, the son of actor Don Johnson, as Booth.

But if the pedigree shouts “HBO,” the execution is pure National Geographic Channel, on which it premieres Sunday night. Fastidiously researched down to the arrangement of household items in certain scenes, “Killing Lincoln” wears its historical accuracy like a ball and chain, clunking where it should inspire, dragging where it should pulse with dread. It grows quickly tedious, which is, in itself, an achievement considering the subject matter.

OSCAR WATCH: ‘Lincoln’

As in O’Reilly’s book, the aim here is to flesh out Booth, who, Hanks informs us early on, has too often been “reduced by history to a two-dimensional scoundrel and dismissed as a madman.” Two hours later, it is still difficult to consider him as much else.

We “learn” that he was an admired actor and zealous supporter of Southern rights. After shopping around for a way to end Lincoln’s government, he came up with one of his own — abduct Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William Seward. But abduction soon gave way to assassination, though in the end, only Lincoln was killed.

A fine 2007 History channel documentary, “The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth,” covered similar ground with far greater detail. As adapted by Erik Jendresen (“Band of Brothers”), O’Reilly’s take offers no real insight into Booth as a man, beyond the fact that he was an actor and given to dramatic flourishes.

At more than a few points, Johnson’s performance falls into pure hokum. Making his way to the balcony of Ford’s Theatre, Johnson seems looks more like Snidely Whiplash than a well-known performer of his time.

But Johnson is certainly not to blame for the film’s camp factor. Having decided to bypass the customary documentary insertion of scholars and experts, the creators rely instead on Hanks to provide the narrative bridge between re-enactment scenes.

Hanks is a fine and able narrator but this puts an enormous amount of pressure on those scenes — pressure increased all the more by the decision to use only dialogue culled from historical documents. Re-enactment scenes, with their tableaux rigidity, are difficult enough, but with actors speaking lines drawn from letters, diaries and other documents, woodenness is all but guaranteed.

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Campbell is also a solid performer. But here his attempts to imbue every blessed moment with Tragic Historical Significance are as obvious as his Bela Lugosi eye shadow.

Neither does it help, in any way, to have Hanks constantly intone an assassination countdown: “Lincoln has 16 days to live,” “He has 10 days to live,” “The president has four days to live,” and then, hilariously, “John Wilkes Booth has 12 days to live.” It’s like they want to turn their documentary into a drinking game.

Lincoln’s life, and death, remain the Great American Epic, a tale oft-told in varied ways. But at this point, those seeking to add their voices must not only mark up to the stature of their subject, they must at least come close to the quality of previous versions. “Killing Lincoln” does neither.

‘Killing Lincoln’

When: 8 and 10 p.m. Sunday

Rating: TV-14-LV (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 14 with advisories for coarse language and violence)

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Killing Lincoln

Where to Watch

Tom Hanks (Self - Narrator) Regen Wilson (Peter Taltavul) Billy Campbell (Abraham Lincoln) Jesse Johnson (John Wilkes Booth) Geraldine Hughes (Mary Todd Lincoln) Graham Beckel (Edwin Stanton) Shawn Pyfrom (Private John W. Nichols) Greg Cooper (Alexander Gardner) Andrew Collie (James McCollom) Jeremy Ambler (George Robinson)

Adrian Moat

Based on The New York Times best-selling novel, Killing Lincoln is the suspenseful, eye-opening story of the events surrounding the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.

More about Killing Lincoln

Killing Lincoln debuts tonight on the National Geographic Channel at 8 p.m. Eastern.

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Killing Lincoln Review

Steve is an unrepentant nerd who enjoys all things Disney, Doctor Who, and Star Trek. He is currently finishing his undergraduate degree in political science at Temple University and divides his time between his homes in Philadelphia and Orlando.

TV review | Killing Lincoln: Movie based on O'Reilly book has merit

The assassination of Abraham Lincoln on the evening of April 14, 1865, remains a defining event in American history.

Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. Many know that the play the Lincolns were watching was called Our American Cousin .

Few events in U.S. history have been as thoroughly researched as the assassination of the nation's 16th president.

In other words: Not much new is revealed in the National Geographic Channel's first scripted special, Killing Lincoln , to be shown Sunday night.

Still, the decently written and adequately performed docudrama isn't unwelcome. Adapted by Erik Jendresen from the book by newsman Bill O'Reilly, the film - narrated by Tom Hanks - details the events leading up to that night in April and the ensuing government manhunt for Booth and his co-conspirators.

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Billy Campbell plays Lincoln, with Jesse Johnson portraying Booth. Both actors stick not only to the script for the show but also to the more important historical script.

Campbell's Lincoln is convincing but doesn't quite replicate the war-weary, drained image conveyed in the last photos of the president. Booth, a member of one of the nation's great theatrical families, never seems to be offstage. The theatricality of Johnson's line delivery leaves us wanting to know more about the man beneath the declamations.

Any depiction of a historical event might prompt us to consider how things might have turned out differently.

And so it is with Killing Lincoln . What if Booth, who can be seen on the steps of the Capitol during Lincoln's second inauguration in an old photo, had chosen that occasion to try to kill the president? What if Booth hadn't stopped in at Ford's Theatre on the day of the assassination to learn that the president would attend Our American Cousin that night instead of following through with previously announced plans to see a play at a different theater?

And as for the oft- quoted - and perhaps misquoted - pronouncement by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton after Lincoln drew his last breath, if only stenographer James Tanner's pencil hadn't broken at that precise moment, we would know for certain whether Stanton said, "Now he belongs to the ages" or, as some reported, "Now he belongs to the angels."

Killing Lincoln is yet another reminder that history is made up of events both monumental and petty, of complex intentions and unforeseen circumstances - and that their occurrence can't be undone but is often subject to interpretation and misunderstanding.

Killing Lincoln (2013 TV Movie)

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Inside 'killing lincoln': john wilkes booth, the famed actor history forgot.

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The best james bond movie came out 60 years ago according to rotten tomatoes, 10 supporting john wick characters who stole the show with minimum screen time, read our review of 'killing lincoln' here.

In National Geographic's  Killing Lincoln  -  from executive producers Ridley and Tony Scott and narrated by Tom Hanks - the final days of Abraham Lincoln and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth, are re-created to present the true story behind the first-ever assassination of a United States President. And with it, the tale of one of America's most famous forgotten actors is revealed.

This past summer, while filming in Virginia, Screen Rant visited the set of  Killing Lincoln  to talk to Jesse Johnson, the actor tasked with portraying John Wilkes Booth, about the amazingly interesting and largely unknown story behind the man who killed Lincoln.

"He's not just this little blurb you read about in your history text book ," says Johnson.  "This was a man who was raised by a famous acting father,   and he  was  brought up on Shakespeare and the great classic plays ." Son of world-renowned actor Junius Brutus and his equally famous brother, Edwin, a Lincoln supporter, Booth's true fame as a thespian has long-been lost to the infamy he found as a murderer.

At one time earning today's equivalent of $500,000 a year as a stage performer, Booth was considered one of the top actors of his time. A man whose performance Walt Whitman once said  "[had]  flashes, passages, I thought of real genius,"  referring to Booth's ability to engage his audience.

John Wilkes Booth in 1865, the same year he killed Abraham Lincoln

Adds Johnson:

"Interestingly enough,  alot of people wrote about how his stage presence and his acting on stage was so evocative of real life; it was like it had never been seen before. It was one of the first unpredictable moment-to-moment actors that had harnessed alot of what Stella Adler, Stanislavski and Meisner really teach: acting is reacting. The whole "you did this so I'm going to do something different" created this really fierce unpredictability about him.

So what, then, would make Booth, who was today's equivalent of an A-list actor, want to throw that all away in order to assassinate the President of the United States? " That's the real crux of the issue here, "   notes Johnson .   "He's not a mustache twirling diabolical villain. He's a real human being with a deep passionate love for the South and for the Constitution that the country was predicated upon. "

"He's basically created this entire play where he is the writer, director, star of his conspiracy, and he goes out in his final battle scene,"  Johnson explains.  "The weight of the truth of this story plays out is so dramatic. You're sitting there going, 'This really happened?' And the writer is saying, 'Yeah.' And all the books, the material back it up."  

"He really believes [killing Lincoln] is the right thing to do. He really believes the South will be free if he does this. This is his last-ditch effort. It started as a kidnapping attempt for prisoners of war. At some point it shifted to, the only way to save the country and what it's based upon is to kill the tyrant; to be Brutus and kill Caesar - to be a tyrant."  

Although successful in his assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Booth, who was now on the run for his life, was surprised to find that the death of the President was not viewed by the public as the revolutionary act he had intended it to be, as Johnson explains:

"He really missed it. What he did had far greater ramifications to the converse of his original intent, because Lincoln was the only hope for the reconstruction of the South in the proper way. His assassination essentially martyred Lincoln - which is NOT at all what Booth wanted to do - and he put Andrew Johnson in the presidency, who many felt were incompetent in putting this nation together that had been torn and ravaged from war. And you see that moment in the film, when he reads the reviews and the things that are being said of him are completely the opposite of what he expected it was going to be."

However, instead of reinvigorating the South, as he hoped, Booth's assassination of Abraham Lincoln brought an entire nation together to mourn the loss of its leader, leaving the man behind the President's murder without a place to turn. And as Booth's final days were spent attempting to avoid capture, the memories of his illustrious acting career were forgotten, instead replaced with the tagline that he will forever be known as: the man who killed Abraham Lincoln.

On a final note, Johnson gives his theory about Booth:

"This was before the days of film and television, and he was never going to be remembered forever. Once that curtain goes down, you just remain in the memory of the people who were there the night that you performed and the press that's written about you based on other people's opinions; there's no hard copy. He had such an insatiable lust for fame and notoriety, and to crawl out from the shadow of his father and his other brother and outshine them. His decision to kill the President wasn't his way to do that, because it was motivated by what he truly believed. But I also think that it helped that he had this quest to be inked in the pages forever. Again, just not like this."

Killing Lincoln  airs Sunday @8pm on National Geographic Channel. You can check out the trailer below:

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Television Review

Lincoln, the Play and Everything After

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By Neil Genzlinger

• Feb. 15, 2013

Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg’s frequent collaborator, snags himself a seat on Mr. Spielberg’s bandwagon on Sunday when he turns up as the narrator of “Killing Lincoln,” a docudrama on the National Geographic Channel.

If Mr. Spielberg’s “Lincoln” achieves greatness largely through the detailed performances of Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and others, “Killing Lincoln” also has details to recommend it — historical details, the kind of tidbits that (along with Mr. Hanks’s assured narration) can hold your attention, even though the tale is familiar.

“Killing Lincoln,” based on the book by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, puts its focus just where the title suggests: on the final days of Lincoln’s life and the pursuit of those behind the assassination. And yes, for anyone who can’t get enough of the 16th president, on Sunday it will be possible to arrange a Lincoln trifecta, seeing “Lincoln,” Salvador Litvak’s new film; “ Saving Lincoln ” (about the president’s bodyguard); and “Killing Lincoln” in a single day. Happy belated birthday, Abe.

“Killing Lincoln” mixes narration with re-enactments to tell a ticktock version of John Wilkes Booth’s plot to kill the president. The film lists Tony and Ridley Scott among its executive producers, and more effort seems to have gone into these re-creations than into those for “ Gettysburg ,” their earlier foray into Civil War television, seen on the History channel in 2011.

Billy Campbell portrays Lincoln; Jesse Johnson is the hyperbolic Booth; and Geraldine Hughes is Mary Todd Lincoln. This type of production doesn’t give actors a chance to delve deeply, the way Mr. Spielberg’s movie does, but everyone here is convincing enough, which is all that matters. The worst docudramas are those in which the actors are distractingly wooden.

The general story of how Booth and his co-conspirators tried to cripple the government — by simultaneously killing the president, Vice President Andrew Johnson and Secretary of State William H. Seward — is well known, but “Killing Lincoln” does a pretty good job of conjuring the actual attacks, surely among the most shocking few hours in American history. (Seward was seriously wounded but lived; Johnson’s would-be attacker got cold feet.)

One thing that stands out, especially given that this was the first assassination of an American president, is the clear-headed response of a particular cabinet member in the hour after the 10:13 p.m. shooting at Ford’s Theater, when Lincoln, still alive, had been taken to a boardinghouse.

“Shortly after 11 p.m.,” Mr. Hanks relates, “Secretary of War Edwin Stanton sets up a headquarters in the back parlor of the house and establishes relays between there and the War Department telegraph operators. He alerts General Grant and calls him back to Washington, issues emergency directives to police and military authorities, orders the National Detective Police to initiate a manhunt for the as-yet-unknown assassin and notifies Vice President Johnson that the president is dying.”

The ticktock technique, often effective in print, has a ghoulish breathlessness to it on film — Mr. Hanks repeatedly reminds us how long Lincoln and then Booth had to live. But those who can overlook that will find a wealth of detail here that brings the tale to life.

It’s no secret that Booth broke his leg, either when he jumped from Lincoln’s box or when his horse fell later, but here we learn that it was “a clean break of his fibula, two inches above the instep of his left foot.”

We learn, too, that Dr. Charles A. Leale, the surgeon who was the first to treat Lincoln and stayed with him for the nine hours until he died, was just 23. We learn that the “wanted” posters for the conspirators were the first to use photographs of suspects and that James Tanner , the stenographer who began taking witness testimony almost immediately after the shooting, was a Civil War veteran who had lost both legs in battle.

Small things, perhaps, but the difference between dry history and history lived by actual human beings. In the film’s final moments we see some of those human beings: photographs of Booth’s co-conspirators, made after they were taken into custody. It’s an eerie, effective flourish.

Killing Lincoln

National Geographic Channel, Sunday night at 8, Eastern and Pacific times; 7, Central time.

Produced by Scott Free Productions. Directed by Adrian Moat; written by Erik Jendresen; based on the book “Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination That Changed America Forever,” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard; Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, David W. Zucker, Mary Lisio, Mark Herzog, Mr. Jendresen and Mr. O’Reilly, executive producers; Christopher G. Cowen and Mr. Moat, producers. Larry Rapaport, line producer; narrated by Tom Hanks. For the National Geographic Channel: Howard T. Owens, Charlie Parsons, Teri Weinberg and Richard E. Wells, executive producers.

WITH: Billy Campbell (Abraham Lincoln), Jesse Johnson (John Wilkes Booth), Geraldine Hughes (Mary Todd Lincoln), Graham Beckel (Edwin Stanton) and Shawn Pyfrom (Private John W. Nichols).

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Movie Review: Killing Lincoln – Narrated by Tom Hanks

The Suspenseful Thriller that Will Take You Behind the Bullet that Killed America’s Greatest President Debuts on Digital HD May 21 and Blu-ray and DVD June 11th, 2013.

Narrated by Oscar winner Tom Hanks* and produced by Tony Scott (Unstoppable, The A-Team) & Ridley Scott (Prometheus, American Gangster), KILLING LINCOLN delivers a thrilling perspective into the criminal mind of John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators. Watch the conspiracy unfold on Digital HD May 21 and Blu-ray and DVD June 11 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment – just in time for Father’s Day!

Based on The New York Times best-selling novel, KILLING LINCOLN is the suspenseful, eye-opening account of the events surrounding the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. While some aspects of the plot to slay Lincoln and cripple the newly forming union are widely known, much more of the history unfolds in this insightful thriller. As John Wilkes Booth becomes increasingly obsessed with removing Lincoln from office, a secret faction of conspirators forms, and ultimately empowers Booth to carry out an event that will change America forever. Narrated by Oscar® Winner Tom Hanks* and produced by Tony Scott and Ridley Scott, this historical masterpiece stars Billy Campbell (TV’s The Killing) in a spectacular turn as President Lincoln.

KILLING LINCOLN recounts one of the most dramatic events in American history and details how one gunshot changed the country forever. The movie premiered on the National Geographic Channel and was seen by 3.4 million people, making it the most-watched broadcast in the network’s history. This epic chronicle is the first in a trilogy of books written by Bill O’Reilly and his researcher and partner Martin Dugard that will be adapted for the screen with National Geographic and Scott Free Productions. The second in the trilogy is “Killing Kennedy,” a riveting chronicle of the shocking events surrounding the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The final installment in the trilogy is “Killing Jesus,” which follows the events leading up to the crucifixion.

Our Thoughts : I am not much of a history buff but my husband is! Matter of fact, he will drag me to numerous history and civil war museums whenever he can. With that said, one of my favorite directors of all time is Ridley Scott (Blackhawk Down), so I was excited to check out this DVD for all of you.

To our surprise…this movie held our attention and the acting was fantastic! One of the things I enjoyed seeing in the movie was the period costumes (yes, I am weird like that when it comes to period historical flicks) and the costumes in this movie were fun to see!

In school we were taught a little bit about the assassination of President Lincoln but this movie goes in-depth and really takes a hard & close look at all of the characters (people) who were involved in it. In my opinion, John Wilkes Booth was a total nut case who was greedy for power, fame and money. It was interesting to see how fixated he was on President Lincoln and how ‘warped” his thinking was.

Overall, hubby and I were pretty impressed with this DVD and next weekend our two teenage nephews will be coming down to watch it again with us. My brother wants them to view it to get a good history lesson from it. On our rating scale…we give it 7 1/2 stars out of 10 stars on our entertainment scale!

Disclaimer : Shelly has personally reviewed the product listed above. Shelly has not received any monetary compensation for her review. Shelly did receive a free product to try out so she could evaluate and use it for her review. Her thoughts & opinions in this review are unbiased & honest and your opinions may differ. Two Classy Chics is not responsible for delivery of any giveaway items won from this blog. We are not responsible for injury or mis-use of any products won from the Two Classy Chics Blog. Please read our Terms of Service & Disclaimer Policy before entering our giveaways. This giveaway is not affiliated with Facebook or Google+ in any way. Thanks!

My husband really is a Lincoln history buff, so I know he would be interested in this DVD. I am impressed by your review and I like that Tom Hanksnarrates the DVD.

This is one where my mom read the book, and I haven’t yet. We both thoroughly enjoyed the movie! I am a history buff, so it was right up my alley. Thanks for your wonderful review.

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Killing lincoln blu-ray review.

Genre(s): History, Drama Fox | NR – 96 min. – $29.99 | June 11, 2013

MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Adrian Moat Writer(s): Bill O’Reilly & Martin Dugard (book); Erik Jendresen (written by) Cast: Tom Hanks (narrator), Billy Campbell, Jesse Johnson

DISC INFO: Features: Commentary, Featurettes, UV Digital Copy Number of Discs: 1

Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1) Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78 Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish Disc Size: 41.2 GB Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Region(s): A

THE MOVIE – 3.75/5

Plot Overview: Killing Lincoln is based on ‘The New York Times’ best-seller, written by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, the film tells the story of the events surrounding the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (BILLY CAMPBELL). While some aspects of the plot to slay Lincoln and cripple the newly forming union are widely known, much more of the history unfolds in this epic account. As actor John Wilkes Booth (JESSE JOHNSON) becomes increasingly obsessed with removing Lincoln from office, a secret plot forms, and ultimately empowers Booth to carry out an even that will change America forever.

Quick Hit Review: When I originally watched Killing Lincoln back when it originally aired on NatGeo I felt it was a glossy, well-made docu-drama – although in the featurettes the writer disputes that term – that outlined the days leading up to Lincoln’s assassination. While the movie itself isn’t the best, it does get bogged down with a strangely choppy narrative, the performances by Billy Campbell and Jesse Johnson, especially, makes this an intriguing film presenting information that many may not know about.

Directed by Adrian Moat, who had previously worked with The History Channel on the “Gettysburg” TV movie, and written by Erik Jendresen based, in part, on the bestselling book by O’Reilly and Dugard, Killing Lincoln is far from perfect but still well done and at least worth one viewing.

SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5

Feature Commentary – Executive Producer/Screenwriter Erik Jendresen sits down for a law key yet revealing commentary discussing his research for the movie and provides some bits of information. For a solo track, Jendresen is relatively lively and keeps things interesting.

An Interview with Author Bill O’Reilly (5:04; HD) provides his insights into the book and the importance of Abraham Lincoln. He also discusses the TV adaptation and how it worked.

Uncovering the Truth: The Making of Killing Lincoln (22:22; HD) – This featurette looks at how the movie was made, providing some behind-the-scenes footage overlapped with interviews with the filmmakers and producers (including Ridley Scott).

Lincoln in Virginia (0:17; HD) is a short advertisement for the state.

Promotional Features (TRT 10:26) : Becoming Booth (2:39; HD) – Jesse Johnson discusses the character and getting into the role and getting the movement and the voice he thought would match Booth.

Becoming Lincoln (2:00; HD) is in similar fashion with Billy Campbell talking about getting into character of such a historical figure. Interestingly he got offered the part only 5 days before filming.

Playing Mary Todd (1:51; HD) – Actress Geraldine Hughes talks about playing the First Lady.

Directing a New Lincoln Story (2:16; HD) – Director Adrian Moat explains his approach to helming the movie and importance of the subject.

Killing Lincoln Preview (1:39; HD) is a vastly condensed version of interviews to promote the movie.

Previews – Atlas Shrugged Part II , “The Bible” Miniseries, The Oranges

VIDEO – 4.0/5

Killing Lincoln arrives on Blu-ray shown in its original 1.78 widescreen presentation and a glossy 1080p high-def transfer. Like most projects shot digitally and made for television, KL is smooth as they come with some good detail level and transition, albeit skin tones do have a waxy texture. The docu-drama was filmed with using dark colors like browns and such so it’s not something that pops off the screen exactly but it’s satisfactory.

AUDIO – 3.75/5

Similarly, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track isn’t the most dynamic I’ve heard but it sure beats the regular television speakers when I first watched this special when it aired. The dialogue levels are nice and clear, especially for Tom Hanks’ narration, and when we do get some other action (horses’ galloping and that gunshot) mostly uses the front and rear channels. This isn’t too bad of a track but given its source, the sound design was minimal.

OVERALL – 3.5/5

Overall, Killing Lincoln is far from a perfect movie but offers some interesting information not many people might know about. The performances by Billy Campbell and Jesse Johnson are both respectable especially Johnson who probably deserves an Emmy nomination for his great portrayal of James Wilkes Booth. The Blu-ray released by Fox has good audio/video transfers and the features, albeit limited, does lend to some depth on the production.

The Movieman Published: 06/10/2013

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Killing Lincoln

Cast & crew.

Billy Campbell

Abraham Lincoln

Jesse Johnson

John Wilkes Booth

Geraldine Hughes

Mary Todd Lincoln

Graham Beckel

Edwin Stanton

Shawn Pyfrom

Private John W. Nichols

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Breaking news, trump found guilty of all 34 counts in hush money case, killing lincoln: tv review.

Despite narration by Tom Hanks, National Geographic Channel’s first scripted drama is seriously overshadowed by its big-screen competition.

By Tim Goodman

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Killing Lincoln Still - H 2013

It certainly doesn’t help National Geographic Channel that a famous director, a brilliant historian and a superb screenwriter decided to make a little film about Abraham Lincoln and have it burst onto the scene months before the channel airs its first scripted movie …

… about Abraham Lincoln.

The Bottom Line If you see only one movie about Abraham Lincoln this year ... make it the other one.

Killing Lincoln is a docudrama narrated by Tom Hanks , executive produced by Ridley Scott and his late brother Tony and written by Erik Jendresen ( Band of Brothers ), based on Bill O’Reilly ’s book.

PHOTOS: Academy Awards 2013: The Nominees

However, not only does the film pale severely in the face of Steven Spielberg ’s Lincoln , but also it can’t measure up to many of the historical dramas shown through the years on HBO and Showtime.

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The structure of Killing Lincoln works against it. The film stars Billy Campbell as Lincoln and Jesse Johnson as John Wilkes Booth, with Hanks appearing nearly as often as the on-camera narrator. Hanks’ stentorian delivery and dramatic chops help keep Killing Lincoln nailed to the ground — where it otherwise might seem too slight to keep in place.

Much of the history is spoken, not seen, and though Campbell does the best he can with his role, the docudrama seems thin and disconnected — as if the scripted, acted parts are merely in service of Hanks’ narration. This doesn’t allow the characters, events or even the sense of place to be fully realized.

A bigger problem might have been in the direction given Johnson on how to play Booth, a trained actor and a man Killing Lincoln states is more than the two-dimensional person portrayed in history — though it does little to make him seem more than that.

PHOTOS: New ‘Lincoln’ Opening Made for Overseas Audiences

Johnson plays Booth in a manner far too broad to be taken seriously. It’s as if he’s trying to do a dramatic reading of how Booth the actor might grandiosely say the words as put into his mouth in this film. That is, if we’re to view Booth as a man who spoke like he was onstage no matter what situation he was in — plotting Lincoln’s death, picking up his mail, reading his own letters out loud — then we get all too well he’s a misguided, delusional blowhard. If, however, that wasn’t the intent, someone needed to ratchet Johnson back and have him play the role with a less flowery flourish. It’s like he’s impersonating The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show ’s Snidely Whiplash, twisting his mustache while plotting to tie Lincoln to the railroad tracks.

The other structure that crumbles is a narrative device wherein Hanks must repeat such lines as, “Lincoln has 12 days to live.” Or, “Lincoln has four days to live.” Or, “Booth will be dead in 10 days.” This running timeline is littered throughout Killing Lincoln and doesn’t make it more dramatic, only more obvious in its desperation to be dramatic.

Ultimately, Killing Lincoln is 90 minutes of bad timing.

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Outstanding drama about revered leader's political genius.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Lincoln is a tribute to a president who took leade

Lincoln is shown to be a thoughtful, intelligent,

Scenes of the Civil War are mostly shown in passin

Mary and Abraham Lincoln embrace.

As would have been accurate for the era, the words

Characters drink liquor (some to excess) and smoke

Parents need to know that Steven Spielberg's Lincoln isn't a biographical chronicle of Abraham Lincoln's (Daniel Day-Lewis) life in office but rather a political drama about the passing of the 13th Amendment and the end of the Civil War. The most sensitive issues in the movie are its depiction of…

Positive Messages

Lincoln is a tribute to a president who took leadership seriously and knew that, for the United States to continue, slavery would need to be abolished -- even if he wasn't personally a die-hard supporter of equal rights. There are also messages about work-life balance, letting children make their own choices, and realizing that all people have worth and a right to their freedom. Additional themes include integrity, courage, humility, and perseverance.

Positive Role Models

Lincoln is shown to be a thoughtful, intelligent, generous man who, while not as pro-equality as the abolitionists, is definitely insistent that the country abolish slavery. But he's not depicted as perfect: He's willing to play the political game of patronage (giving lame-duck Democrats political appointments) in exchange for getting the 13th Amendment passed. Thaddeus Stevens is the most progressive congressman, and he wants nothing short of total equality. The movie doesn't sit in judgment of or demonize the Confederates or Democrats who don't want to abolish slavery; they're depicted as closed-minded men who just can't fathom changing their way of life.

Violence & Scariness

Scenes of the Civil War are mostly shown in passing, but there's definitely carnage -- including bodies lying dead across battlefields. Mentions of casualties upset the president and his Cabinet. In an Army hospital, amputee soldiers greet the president, and then two soldiers bury a barrel full of severed limbs -- making Robert Todd Lincoln (and likely many viewers) sick. Although we don't see Lincoln's assassination, he's displayed dead, with a pool of blood surrounding him.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

As would have been accurate for the era, the words "Negroes," "coons," "coloreds," and "n-----s" are used to describe African Americans. Other strong language is peppered throughout and includes two uses of "f--k," plus "s--t," "bulls--t," "ass," "goddamn," "crap," "damn," "hell," "son of a bitch," and "oh my God."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Characters drink liquor (some to excess) and smoke cigars, pipes, and hand-rolled cigarettes (accurate for the era).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Steven Spielberg 's Lincoln isn't a biographical chronicle of Abraham Lincoln's ( Daniel Day-Lewis ) life in office but rather a political drama about the passing of the 13th Amendment and the end of the Civil War. The most sensitive issues in the movie are its depiction of war (severed limbs and bloody battlefields filled with dead soldiers are seen) and occasional strong language, including many era-accurate (but hard to hear today) racial epithets. But overall, the violence is much tamer than in war movies like Saving Private Ryan or Glory , and Lincoln is an educational, entertaining drama that even some mature 5th graders might be ready to handle, if they watch with their parents. (That said, it does move somewhat slowly, so kids hooked on fast-paced entertainment may not be interested.) To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

• Parents say (21)
• Kids say (51)

Based on 21 parent reviews

Good to watch as a family--values and civics lessons

If it weren't for the blasphemy the movie would be a 5 star., what's the story.

It's 1865. President Abraham LINCOLN ( Daniel Day-Lewis ) has just been reelected, and it's clear that the Confederacy isn't likely to survive another spring in the ongoing Civil War. But before Lincoln can embrace the likelihood of the South's surrender, he wants -- seemingly more than anything -- to pass the 13th Amendment and definitively outlaw slavery in the entire Union. With the help of Secretary of State William Seward ( David Strathairn ), Lincoln hires three political negotiators ( James Spader , Tim Blake Nelson , and John Hawkes ) to convince at least 20 of the House of Representatives' Democrats (who staunchly oppose the amendment) to vote for the bill (usually in exchange for patronage positions). Meanwhile, in his personal life, Lincoln faces more issues of compromise and sacrifice with his emotional wife, Mary ( Sally Field ), and his desperate-to-enlist son, Robert ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt ).

Is It Any Good?

There's no better film to watch to pay witness to how even our country's greatest historical leaders still had to make quid pro quo overtures across party lines to move forward. Based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's award-winning book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln , Lincoln is more about the political intrigue of Lincoln's final months than a "biopic" about his personal life. Day-Lewis' performance is a brilliant character study of a legendary man. Unlike the over-the-top characters Day-Lewis played in Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood , his President Lincoln is an introspective man who tells stories that sound like parables and who exudes a powerful dignity, even in silence. As Mary Todd Lincoln, Field makes a passionate case for the First Lady's instability, stemming from the overwhelming grief of losing son Willie.

But one of the most startling performances in the film, which is so eloquently scripted by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner, is courtesy of Tommy Lee Jones as Stevens. The uncompromising abolitionist congressman wants complete racial equality -- not just the legal extinction of slavery -- but even he knows that change sometimes comes in baby steps, not revolution.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why President Lincoln is still considered one of the most influential presidents of all time. How does the movie's depiction of President Lincoln compare to what you know or have learned about him? Did anything surprise you about his political or personal life?

What does the movie tell us about how politics have changed since the 1860s? Do politicians still have to work together and make compromises, even if they fundamentally disagree? What is the continued relevance of the 13th Amendment?

How closely do you think Lincoln adheres to history? How many liberties with the facts do you think a movie like this can take? Why might filmmakers decide to do that?

How do the figures depicted in Lincoln demonstrate perseverance and courage ? What about humility and integrity ? Why are these important character strengths ?

How does Mary Todd Lincoln's emotional fragility -- in no small part spurred by the fear of one of her remaining sons going to fight in the war that her husband considers necessary -- impact Lincoln's situation?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 9, 2012
• On DVD or streaming : March 26, 2013
• Cast : Daniel Day-Lewis , Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Sally Field
• Director : Steven Spielberg
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : DreamWorks
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : History
• Character Strengths : Courage , Humility , Integrity , Perseverance
• Run time : 150 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language
• Awards : Academy Award , Golden Globe
• Last updated : May 15, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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KILLING LINCOLN

The shocking assassination that changed america forever.

by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2011

Cable-news talking head O’Reilly ( Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama , 2010, etc.) and historian Dugard ( To Be a Runner , 2011, etc.) serve up a sensational, true-crime account of one of the most shocking murders in American history.

In this fast-paced narrative history, the authors recount the weeks leading up to and immediately following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. They pick up the historical thread in the waning moments of the Civil War, as two bedraggled armies attempted to outmaneuver and outlast one another. A reflective and anxious Lincoln was near the battlefront, conferring with General Grant and waiting for the fall of Richmond that would signal the last phase of the war. Meanwhile, a disgruntled Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, traveled around Washington, D.C., and its environs fomenting unrest among his co-conspirators. In response to the fall of the Confederacy, Booth transformed the group’s longstanding kidnapping plan into a vengeful and flamboyant plot to assassinate Lincoln and several key Cabinet members. The authors profess to be writing history that reads like a thriller, and their account of Lincoln’s assassination makes ample use of tricks like cliffhanger endings, hypothetical psychological insights and fictional dialogue. Yet such narrative propulsions seem hardly necessary when chronicling the rapid-fire succession of major events that occurred during those fateful weeks: several of the bloodiest battles of an already brutal war, the surrender of the Confederacy, tumultuous celebrations in the North and the Good Friday assassination of a leader who was both beloved and despised. This moment in history is already dramatic, thrilling and shocking; applying the “thriller” motif delivers on the subtitle’s description of a “shocking assassination” but fails to elucidate how the authors believe this event “changed America forever.” An entertaining tale that neither adds to the vast bulk of Lincoln scholarship nor challenges the established theories of Booth's plot and the subsequent trial of the conspirators. Readers seeking a consequential thriller-like portrayal of the assassination should turn to James L. Swanson’s Manhunt (2005).

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-8050-9307-0

Page Count: 336

Publisher: Henry Holt

Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011

HISTORY | UNITED STATES | GENERAL HISTORY

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KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON

The osage murders and the birth of the fbi.

by David Grann ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 18, 2017

Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.

Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.

During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorker staff writer Grann ( The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession , 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.

Pub Date: April 18, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6

Page Count: 352

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017

GENERAL HISTORY | TRUE CRIME | UNITED STATES | FIRST/NATIVE NATIONS | HISTORY

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by David Grann

More About This Book

BOOK TO SCREEN

by Elie Wiesel & translated by Marion Wiesel ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 16, 2006

The author's youthfulness helps to assure the inevitable comparison with the Anne Frank diary although over and above the...

Elie Wiesel spent his early years in a small Transylvanian town as one of four children. 

He was the only one of the family to survive what Francois Maurois, in his introduction, calls the "human holocaust" of the persecution of the Jews, which began with the restrictions, the singularization of the yellow star, the enclosure within the ghetto, and went on to the mass deportations to the ovens of Auschwitz and Buchenwald. There are unforgettable and horrifying scenes here in this spare and sombre memoir of this experience of the hanging of a child, of his first farewell with his father who leaves him an inheritance of a knife and a spoon, and of his last goodbye at Buchenwald his father's corpse is already cold let alone the long months of survival under unconscionable conditions. 

Pub Date: Jan. 16, 2006

ISBN: 0374500010

Page Count: 120

Publisher: Hill & Wang

Review Posted Online: Oct. 7, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006

BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | HOLOCAUST | HISTORY | GENERAL BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR | GENERAL HISTORY

More by Elie Wiesel

by Elie Wiesel ; edited by Alan Rosen

by Elie Wiesel ; illustrated by Mark Podwal

by Elie Wiesel ; translated by Marion Wiesel

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I've rarely been more aware than during Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" that Abraham Lincoln was a plain-spoken, practical, down-to-earth man from the farmlands of Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. He had less than a year of formal education and taught himself through his hungry reading of great books. I still recall from a childhood book the image of him taking a piece of charcoal and working out mathematics by writing on the back of a shovel.

Lincoln lacked social polish but he had great intelligence and knowledge of human nature. 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. The film focuses on the final months of Lincoln's life, including the passage of the 13th Amendment ending slavery, the surrender of the Confederacy and his assassination. Rarely has a film attended more carefully to the details of politics.

Lincoln believed slavery was immoral, but he also considered the 13th Amendment a masterstroke in cutting away the financial foundations of the Confederacy. In the film, the passage of the amendment is guided by William Seward ( David Strathairn ), his secretary of state, and by Rep. Thaddeus Stevens ( Tommy Lee Jones ), the most powerful abolitionist in the House. Neither these nor any other performances in the film depend on self-conscious histrionics; Jones in particular portrays a crafty codger with some secret hiding places in his heart.

The capital city of Washington is portrayed here as roughshod gathering of politicians on the make. The images by Janusz Kaminski , Spielberg's frequent cinematographer, use earth tones and muted indoor lighting. The White House is less a temple of state than a gathering place for wheelers and dealers. This ambience reflects the descriptions in Gore Vidal's historical novel "Lincoln," although the political and personal details in Tony Kushner's concise, revealing dialogue is based on "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" by Doris Kearns Goodwin. The book is well-titled. This is a film not about an icon of history, but about a president who was scorned by some of his political opponents as just a hayseed from the backwoods.

Lincoln is not above political vote buying. He offers jobs, promotions, titles and pork barrel spending. He isn't even slightly reluctant to employ the low-handed tactics of his chief negotiators (Tim Blake Nelson , James Spader , John Hawkes ). That's how the game is played, and indeed we may be reminded of the arm-bending used to pass the civil rights legislation by Lyndon B. Johnson, the subject of another biography by Goodwin.

Daniel Day-Lewis, who has a lock on an Oscar nomination, modulates Lincoln. He is soft-spoken, a little hunched, exhausted after the years of war, concerned that no more troops die. He communicates through stories and parables. At his side is his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln ( Sally Field , typically sturdy and spunky), who is sometimes seen as a social climber but here is focused as wife and mother. She has already lost one son in the war and fears to lose the other. This boy, Robert Todd Lincoln ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt ), refuses the privileges of family.

There are some battlefields in "Lincoln" but the only battle scene is at the opening, when the words of the Gettysburg Address are spoken with the greatest possible impact, and not by Lincoln. Kushner also smoothly weaves the wording of the 13th Amendment into the film without making it sound like an obligatory history lesson.

The film ends soon after Lincoln's assassination. I suppose audiences will expect that to be included. There is an earlier shot, when it could have ended, of President Lincoln walking away from the camera after his amendment has been passed. The rest belongs to history.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Lincoln (2012)

Rated PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language

149 minutes

Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln

Sally Field as Mary Todd

David Strathairn as Seward

Tommy Lee Jones as Stevens

Directed by

• Steven Spielberg
• Tony Kushner

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