Best Picture Nominees — 'Lincoln'


Today I continue my look at Best Picture Nominees with the most nominated film of the year.


Lincoln
Starring: Daniel Day Lewis, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Nominated For: Best Picture, Best Actor (Day Lewis), Best Supporting Actress (Field), Best Supporting Actor (Lee Jones), Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Adapted Screenplay (Tony Kushner), Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Editing, and Best Sound Mixing
Synopsis: And the leader heading to the club house is "Lincoln" with 12 total nominations. About a month ago, when the nominations were announced, it seemed "Lincoln" was the clear-cut favorite to win Best Picture. And why not? It's an exceptional film and a labor of love for Kushner, who adapted the book by Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Spielberg. It features the best performance of the year — from Day Lewis who is a shoo-in to win the Best Actor award — and it was an emotional historical epic that depicted an important moment in our history. Sure, there have been some minor complaints about the way that history is depicted. Some complained about the salty language, while others complained about the way the vote was depicted in terms of the historical record. Others have wondered why a film about Abraham Lincoln was limited to such a finite period of his life and administration. But when you watch the film, and when you allow yourself to get caught up in the beauty of the language and passion of the production, it's hard not to be inspired. There is a reason this film is being sent to schools, too. But a funny thing happened, the politics of film got in the way. After Ben Affleck was denied a Best Director nomination, his film — "Argo" — has jumped to the top of the heap. In some ways, comparing the films is like comparing apples and oranges. Both are good, and good for you in terms of capturing historical events. I think "Lincoln" is probably the superior film, but it probably won't come out on top on Sunday night. It won't be the first time this has happened to Spielberg. Remember when "Saving Private Ryan" — one of the greatest films ever made — was left holding the bag while "Shakespeare in Love" won Best Picture? Of course "Argo" is a great film in its own right, and it has the momentum of the voters on its side. Much like in 1998, though, I think Spielberg will win the Oscar for his direction. As I said, I think Day Lewis is a lock to win, Kushner should win for his screenplay and it's possible Tommy Lee Jones will take home an award as well. "Lincoln" should also do well in some of the technical categories and, at the end of it all, will likely end up as the film that wins the most Academy Awards, which is nothing to sneeze at.
Rating: PG-13 for an intense scene of war violence, some images of carnage and brief strong language.
Verdict: Four stars out of four.

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