Kudos to Doris Goodwin & Daniel Day-Lewis, But...

Rating: 7/10 (25 November 2012)

Without question, Doris Kearns Goodwin is THE historical writer of our times. Her depiction of what Abraham Lincoln had to endure -- not to mention what the hundreds of thousands of men on both sides of the Civil War had to suffer -- whilst he made the agonizing decision of whether to end the war early (and forever keep "Negroes" enslaved by those in the Confederacy) versus "cajoling" those in his Cabinet to secure the necessary votes to ban slavery was extraordinary.
With regard to the "But..." in the title of my posting, following are the problems I had with this film, which, admittedly, will surely add to Day-Lewis' Best-Actor Oscar collection:
o This is the first English-speaking film to NEED SUBTITLES. The use of English in Lincoln's day was, of course, very much different than it is today. I found myself trying to follow/understand/comprehend what was being spoken at the moment as much as I was attempting to follow the story line.
o The choice of Sally Field as Mrs. Lincoln was simply a poor choice. As I was following the interactions between Day-Lewis and Field I found it difficult to reconcile the actual difference (11 years) in their real-life ages.
o Tommy Lee Jones was perhaps the most miscast character for my taste. He just didn't convince me that he was a man of the times. Perhaps I have Mr. Jones just too connected to the "Men In Black," "Fugitive," and "U.S. Marshalls" movies.
Basically, a good movie...with issues.