new abraham lincoln movie

[Muha]

hey... i found out from some cool news that Steven Spielberg has bought the film rights to Doris Kearns Goodwin's new novel on Abraham Lincoln. he probably wont direct it for a while yet, but i think this is some major movie news. we havent really seen a modern movie based on abraham lincoln... i think there were a few in the 50's or so...

heres a few questions tho... Abraham Lincoln is arguably the greatest United States President of all time and one of the greatest men to have been a U.S. citizen (in my opinion)... do you think this movie will work?

i think it will... patriotism is abundant now and i dont know when it will disappear. i hope it doesnt and i dont think 9-11 is something people will just forget about 2 years down the road.

if this movie does work and it is fabulous, do you think they will make more presidential movies on... George Washington or Theodore Roosevelt or even FDR? I think Jon Voight's performance in Pearl Harbor should be an entire movie ( one of the only good highlights in PH)

and finally, who would play Lincoln? I havent really thought about it, but i think Harrison Ford might be a good candidate.

[SubMethod]

I think it depends on what time period they set it in. If it starts with his presidency then I think it could be rather good. But, if it traces his whole life then I think it would be kind of boring. I think maybe Tom Hanks could play a good Lincoln.

[Common Sense Man]

It might be a good topic about a good man but if it does get made it will most likely be an artsy flick that does not reach many.

Unfortunately people now days don't really care about dramatic or true to life pics.

Out.......

[HBO]

It could be a good/interesting movie. I wont read the book cause i dont want it to ruin the movie. I dont know who'd play Abe Lincoln the best. Tom Hanks coud handle it best.

[dreamsofsea]

I love fact based movies, and I think a movie about Abe would be great IF it really follows his life.

Look wise when Abe is older, I think Robert DeNiro could pull off playing his part for sure. I think he could probably pull off his character as well. As a younger Abe, I don't know.

[Common Sense Man]

DeNiro!?

I just can see him sitting there and getting shot!

He would be like "Are you shootin at me!"

Right before he vaulted off the balcony and punched him out!

Out.......

[loner]

Robert Davi has that tall, thin, rugged Abe Lincoln look. Give him a beard and he'll resemble him a little maybe. Don't think he could pull it off acting wise though.

[dreamsofsea]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Common Sense Man:
DeNiro!?

I just can see him sitting there and getting shot!

He would be like "Are you shootin at me!"

Right before he vaulted off the balcony and punched him out!

Out.......</font>

Are you trying to get me fired? I read your response and started laughing my behind off in my very straight laced office. That would be his typical role, you are right. But, he has been in serious roles as well.

[dicaprio_travolta_man]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by dreamsofsea:


Look wise when Abe is older, I think Robert DeNiro could pull off playing his part for sure. I think he could probably pull off his character as well. As a younger Abe, I don't know.

</font>

Robert DeNiro is pretty cool but in my honest opinion there is only one man that could pull off the part Abe Lincoln, that one man is Tom Hanks, arguably one of the best actors of today and plus watch Cast Away the man look's great with a beard. Hanks could bring Lincoln alive and protray him dignity, desire, and courage. That is the only possible way they could make a movie like this work I mean any other actor is out of the question, Tom Hanks has to do the part in order to make the man seem real again.

[ColinM]

I think it could be a very good movie. I saw a TV-movie about Lincoln once called The Day Lincoln was Shot, and remember it being pretty damn good. Lance Henriksen played Lincoln, and actually did a good job.

Did anyone else see this?

[Muha]

i saw that movie and i thought it was pretty good. depicted nicely and historically accurate to my knowledge.

BTW the movie will be based on his presidency from 1861 to 1865.

[ColinM]

I was driving home from my job today and, briefly, I thought about who could play Lincoln. After a while, I stopped and was just listening to music, then out of nowhere one of the voices inside my head shouted WILLEM DAFOE!

Ever since I had that strange thought, I've been thinking about whether he could do it or not. Sometimes I think yes, most of the time I think no. He is a great actor, but I dunno if he could pull it off. (He's not tall enough either)

Just figured I'd share that strange occurance with you.

[Muha]

yeah i think the actor would have to be pretty tall... lincoln was 6'4" and he towered over everyone else during that time. plus, when he wore his hat he was near 7 feet tall with it on and you could puck him out of a crowd he was that tall.

[ilovemovies]

Wouldn't Tom Hanks be too young to play Lincoln?

[herculeez]

Oh great, a movie about an American President.
I think this will only get its box office tally from America...and if it does come out here (uk) i would think it would be put on general release (coz it's speilberg), but only people who are interested in history and politics will go and see it.
But you Americans amaze me...wanting to make movies about your past presidents, i cannot see a british film maker in decades im looking back and saying "I think i'll make a movie on Prime Minister Tony Blair...should be stirring...how he sucked up to George "Dumbass" W. Bush, and all in all did a poor job in Britain"

Altho... i could see someone making a film on Winston Chruchil, in years to come...if it allready hasn't been made.

[dreamsofsea]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by herculeez:
Oh great, a movie about an American President.
I think this will only get its box office tally from America...and if it does come out here (uk) i would think it would be put on general release (coz it's speilberg), but only people who are interested in history and politics will go and see it.
But you Americans amaze me...wanting to make movies about your past presidents, i cannot see a british film maker in decades im looking back and saying "I think i'll make a movie on Prime Minister Tony Blair...should be stirring...how he sucked up to George "Dumbass" W. Bush, and all in all did a poor job in Britain"

Altho... i could see someone making a film on Winston Chruchil, in years to come...if it allready hasn't been made.</font>

Your response is one of the reasons why I love this site. It is so EASY to remain in my "American" mind frame. I have never traveled to other countries, or been exposed to other cultures that are strong in their beliefs. I work in a VERY small office, so the point of views I hear are limited. It's fun to share points of views on the one topic that appears to grab EVERYONE'S attention: movies. Personally, I think a GOOD story on Abe would be great. He was a very important part of our history. (and yes, i LOVE history)

[Muha]

hmm... i think tony blair is a great prime minister for britain. granted, i dont live there, but he has shown great respect and dignity and he has shown he is a great leader since sept. 11th.

george w. bush is no dumbass either... a lot better than clinton IMO.

abraham lincoln was a wonderful man and i think he deserves a biopic more than muhammad ali did.

[herculeez]

Granted, i may have been slightly closed minded with this subject.
Please elaborate exactly what Abe Lincoln did for america...i know nothing about american history (if there is such a thing lol) or politics, i doubt i could name more than 8 of your presidents.

And Tony Blair is only good in the eyes of the Americans, becuase he said the uk would stand shoulder to shoulder withthem in during this war. Excellent...good man! Stand next to them, uk and usa are friends and I personally support this war againt terrorism, stand next to usa all the way...but up until then, what good has Tony Blair done for us?
Not a very good prime minister at all.

Anyway, please tell me what would make this film a good one, with a good story?
I'm intrigued as to know what happened in the life of this man...and am too lazy to research any information.

[Muha]

well... im a pretty good guy in American History, my specialty is the Civil War too.

Abraham Lincoln was the 16th United States President. He was born on February 12th, 1809 and he died April 15th, 1865. He served from 1861 - 1865. he was raised very poor and lost his mother from a disease called "Milk Sickness."

After his mother died, he had formal schooling for one month and left. He taught himself how to do many things and he taught himself the law. After leaving Kentucky, he moved to Illinois where he became a postmaster and other odd jobs like that. He became a lawyer in Springfield there and he later ran for the House of Representatives. He won and served there for 2 years after he decided to not run again. Later, he ran for U.S. Senate and lost to Stephen A. Douglass.

After that, he ran against Douglass again and John C. Breckenridge for the presidency. He won, and he was the first Republican president ever. (by our standards of the Republican Party)

He took office during a chaotic time. The South would secede from the Union if Lincoln was elected. he was and South Carolina seceded from the Union shortly after. Then, state by state, the Union fell apart and created the Confederate States of America. War broke out and Lincoln took charge and tried bringing the Union back together.

On July 1, 2, and 3, the greatest battle ever waged on American soil occured in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (about 110 miles away from me) There, the Confederacy was winning a lot of the battles and they were moving north toward DC. At Gettysburg, the North stood and fought the rebels. The North won and it brought back much momentum toward their cause.

after the battle, Lincoln attended Gettysburg and prepared a speech while he had a small case of Smallpox. He created the speech and gave it to hundreds of people outside on the bloodied battlefield. It is said that the Gettysburg Address is the greatest oratorical speech in American History, if not World History as well.

After the address, Lincoln proposed an Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves in the Union slave states. After that, the Union won the war, and all African-Americans were freed from slavery forever.

On April 14th, 1865, Lincoln and his wife attended a play in Ford's Theatre located in DC. There, Lincoln was assassinated by a crazed actor named John Wilkes Booth. He died the next day.

Lincoln is arguably the greatest American president of all time and he was listed as #23 of Biography's Most Influential People of the Millenium. There's a history lesson for ya, Herculeez. Also, Herculeez, thats ok if ya dont know American History that well... you dont live here... Of course tho, I know a lot of English history too... haha.

[herculeez]

Well i know more about him than i ever have about any american president!
lol
Thanx for the lesson...i could actually see that battle in Gettysburg being quite an epic one and with the assassination at the end it could be quite a good movie, espeically moving for you americans.
History is NOT my strong point. http://www.joblo.com/ubb/smile.gif

But ok...i take my word back, it does sound like it could be a good movie, so there's hope yet.
And whilst i was reading the history of abe, i was totally picturing tom hanks playing the part, no idea why.
I'm still not too sure on how it will do in the uk, altho depending on the reviews it gets i may check it out.

[Mr. Fancy Pants]

This is the movie I'd pay to see.

[APzombie]

I dont think you can go wrong with Steven Spielberg & Liam Neeson.

I also dont think you can go wrong eith Mr. Fancy Pants idea either :)

[adamjohnson]

Wasnt lincoln a real ASS in real life?

[Nachokoolaid]

I think Liam Neeson is a great chioce for Lincoln. He is tall and a great actor. Some folks were talking about Hanks, but I think Neeson is already signed on, right? I think he'd be better anyway.

http://www.facade.com/celebrity/photo/Liam_Neeson.jpg http://www.uiuc.edu/tours/quad/prologue/lincoln.jpg

I could definitely see Neeson as Abe. Just slap a beard on him, and you're pretty much done.

[sightless]

I bet adrien Brody will play him

[Nachokoolaid]

Originally posted by sightless
I bet adrien Brody will play him

Unless I'm imagining news stories in my sleep, I'm pretty sure that Liam Neeson has been cast as Abe.

[Fisting Ackbar]

Originally posted by adamjohnson
Wasnt lincoln a real ASS in real life?

I guess if you belonged to the Confederates, he was.

*shrug*

[Mr. Fancy Pants]

Yeah really I think Liam Neeson is the best choice as well.

But if he can't do it for some reason I hope my guy gets a fair shot.

[sezperai]

hmmm

it truly is sad how little AMERICANS know about Lincoln.

for one, the "Ciivil War" was NEVER about freeing slaves......as should be evidenced by the fact that slaves were steadily turned away from the north both BEFORE and after the war and the fact that slaves were not freed in the North until a couple of years AFTER the "Civil War"

also, it is said that Lincoln personally ordered the burning of many a southern city as well as endorsed (by way of turning his back on) the rape of many southern women...

Lincoln was a tyrant

always remember....History is written by the winners....

--jasn


a good resource book for ya's...

The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War by Thomas J. DiLorenzo


by the way.....i am not stating any of this as matter of opinion.....i'm basing my thoughts on actual texts i've read on Lincoln throughout the course of my life as well as a plethora of quotes from Lincoln himself...

if you'll go back and actually read the Emancipation Proclamation...it's very craftily worded to ONLY pertain to slaves in the south (even an orator of Lincoln's time and political affiliation said that the document served no purpose but to proclaim freedom for the slaves they cannot help and to keep enslaved those that they can free"


Lincoln (in my opinion) was a horrible man and if I were to see a movie about him...i would LOVE to see some of his actual quotes that show his true colors

one example of such quotes is:

"I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races--that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which will ever forbid the two races living together in terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together, there must be the position of superior and inferior. I am as much as any other man in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."

--Abraham Lincoln (Sixth Debate with Stephen Douglas OCT 13 1858)

I really wish people would take the time to read about the REAL Lincoln before praising him as the "Great Emancipator"

especially since he never emancipated anyone though he did help further along a great loss of life on both north and south sides of the war by trying to further his imperialist ideals


ciao,
Jasn

[sezperai]

oh yea.....for those of you that don't know

Lincoln was also in favor of an effort to load up all blacks and send them to Central America to mine coal


yea...that's a wonderful role model

"Yea they deserve to be free just as long as I dont' have to deal with em"

Lincoln, what a useless bigot.

hey i thought of a great title for the movie

"The Monster that Changed History"

[bdubprod]

i have to agree with the majority here...


Liam Neeson as Lincoln. Good actor and has the look.

[jaw2929]

Originally posted by Muha
george w. bush is no dumbass either... a lot better than clinton IMO.


LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's really one of the FUNNIEST fucking things I've ever read... Honestly, that's a really good one, thanks for the laugh!

[adamjohnson]

Originally posted by Trail_Blazer
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's really one of the FUNNIEST fucking things I've ever read... Honestly, that's a really good one, thanks for the laugh!

Please. Youre defending a man that cheated on his wife and got a hummer int he OVal Office? You're defending the man that stole all the furniture fromt he white house just before he left (not a big deal, but a damn good judge of character) Youre defending the man that could have PREVENTED 9/11 had he not been such a pussy in dealing with the Iraqis the first time?

[eljefe15]

Originally posted by adamjohnson
Please. Youre defending a man that cheated on his wife and got a hummer int he OVal Office? You're defending the man that stole all the furniture fromt he white house just before he left (not a big deal, but a damn good judge of character) Youre defending the man that could have PREVENTED 9/11 had he not been such a pussy in dealing with the Iraqis the first time?

That's all you got? He got a blow job and took some furniture that was probably going to get thrown out anyway when Dub moved in. There are worse things in this world than a blow job and furniture, like war, death and devastation in the name of..."freedom?" But whatever bro, Bill Clinton has been my president for the last 12 years and will be for the next four. That is unless the religious "holier than thou" conservatives manage to steal another election then who knows. Never underestimate the power that FEAR has on the simple minded.

As for Lincoln, that's what makes him a great movie character. He was full of contradictions. He was a very reclusive man that wanted to be president. And sure he wasn't perfect but I think would still make a great movie subject.

With that said, I think Willem Dafoe would be dreadful. Liam Neeson would have to lose like 40 pounds.

Here are some actors to think about instead:
Sean Penn-Hmm
Edward Norton- then both have weak chins but they don't have the commanding presence that Lincold had.
Jack Nicholson- too old, too cool
Kevin Spacey- just wrong
Billy Bob Thorton- too weird, hey maybe that's perfect
John Cusack- head too big
Chazz Palmintari- He's a big guy. Nah, he's too...too...too Sonny.
Jim Carey- He's a big guy too. Nah, he's too funny. I have it on good authority that Lincoln was not a funny man.
Robert Redford- too handsome
Bruce Willis- only if there's going to be alot of shit blowing up.
Brad Pitt- hell no
Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington, Jaime Foxx and Will Smith- well, you know
Richard Geer- too gay
Kevin Costner-too blah
Tom Cruise- too short
Viggo Mortensen- too...too...? Lord of the Ringish?
Bill Murray-too...I don't know?
John Malkovich-uhh...uhh just strange?
Nicholas Cage-too annoying
Tommy Lee Jones-forget I mentioned that!
Timm Robbins-too much of a pussy
George Clooney-nah
Adren Brody-would be good but I think he's tiny
Gene Hackman-too...round faced. I dunno?
Michael Douglas-too much bad enunciation. Would have trouble with the Gettysburg Address
Kevin Bacon- He did Footloose! I love that flick but we can't have Abe be played by the same guy who did Footloose.
Kurt Russell-no
Val Kilmer-no
Johnny Depp-hell no
Chevy Chase- he's a big dude. No you're right.
Benicio Del Toro-too...not white. It would be cool though. I think the only actor on this list that can capture Lincoln's melancholy.

I refuse to accept that we cannot find an american actor to play Abe. Clint Eastwood would be perfect if he was 10 years younger.

Okay, Liam Neeson it is...

Alrato!