Lincoln<\/em><\/a>, dir. Steven Spielberg<\/strong><\/p>\nI\u2019m of the opinion that\u00a0Lincoln<\/em> is Steven Spielberg\u2019s best film, and that sends it right to the top of any year\u2019s list. Sure, the screenwriter, Tony Kushner, is a friend of my family\u2019s, but I\u2019d think this highly of the film even if I didn\u2019t have a connection to it. With its astounding lead performances from Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field; equally strong work from the supporting cast (including James Spader, Gloria Reuben, Jared Harris, Tommy Lee Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Hal Holbrook, to name just a few of the standouts); and otherwise pitch-perfect production, the film magnificently evokes the world of the 16th U.S. President. In telling the story of the passage of the 13th Amendment, Spielberg and Kushner acknowledge that, yes, politics is ugly business. At the same time, they try to show us that sometimes\u2013on rare occasions\u2013the things that can be ugliest about it (compromise, insincerity, gamesmanship, bean-counting, rule-breaking\u2026) can also actually be great acts of selflessness and sacrifice for the noblest of ends as well. While being clear-eyed and critical, Lincoln<\/em> also seeks to give us renewed hope in the democratic process. For me, it worked beautifully and its impact was gigantic.<\/p>\n
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