Sally Field cast in Spielberg's Lincoln (Watch out for liberals trying to steal a Republican Hero)

Actress Archives.com ^ | 9-25-2007 | Actress Archives

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Sally Field wins an Emmy and suddenly everyone wants to 'really, really like her' again. Fresh off her controversial appearance on the Emmys, when she won for Brothers & Sisters, Sally Field has been cast as Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln, in Steven Spielberg's long-awaited biopic of one of the most important leaders of all time. Liam Neeson has already been cast as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln bases on Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln will center on the life of the leader in the time leading up to the Civil War as he inspired the troops of the North to fight. As E! reports, Liam Neeson has been attached to the project since way back in 2005, when it looked like Spielberg might do the flick between Munich and War of the Worlds. But the film has been postponed a number of times due to casting and scheduling conflicts. With the casting of Sally Field, Steven Spielberg's Lincoln is closer to actually happening than ever before.

Now, of course, Steven Spielberg is filming a little movie called Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, so Lincoln will have to wait. That film will be released May 22, 2008 and Spielberg has a history of doing one big summer movie and one "serious" winter movie. Jurassic Park and Schindler's List both came out in 1993 and War of the Worlds and Munich dropped in 2005. Don't be at all surprised if Spielberg drops Indiana Jones 4 and Lincoln in 2008. E! does note however that it could be tough to start Lincoln with Sally Field's Brothers & Sisters schedule. It may have to wait until her summer hiatus, but Spielberg could still get it out before the end of next year. Lincoln reteams Spielberg with Neeson from Schindler's List and Tony Kushner, the writer of Munich. It's got Oscar bait written all over it.

The 60-year-old Sally Field has a long history in television and film, recently finishing an arc on ER and being a series regular and Emmy winner now on Brothers & Sisters. Sally Field has been nominated for an Oscar twice and won both times for 1979's Norma Rae and 1984's Places in the Heart.

[rlmorel]

"...Good casting. She’ll fill the role of a mentally deranged woman perfectly. Mary Todd Lincoln was not a very attractive woman either...."

Right. This disgusting actor is perfectly cast.

One of the things I wish someone would do is make a really well done, historically correct movie about George Washington...and I thought Liam Neelson would have been superbly cast as George Washington.

I suspect he will do well as Lincoln, but it seems like so many have done Lincoln, but few have done Washington.

I know Jeff Daniels did "The Crossing" and played Washington, but...Jeff Daniels? No insult intended, and he did a decent job for...Jeff Daniels, but...well, I guess I just couldn't get "Dumb and Dumber" out of my mind.

[rlmorel]

It has been my experience that there are some people to whom the war never ended.

[BuffaloJack]

The liberals can have Lincoln. He was a liberal and proud of it. And anyone thinking that he freed the slaves is an idiot. Lincoln only freed the slaves in the states that left the union. There were several states that the emancipation did not cover.
Of course, lincoln loved the United States, something no present day liberal will do.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Is Lincoln a hero? Did you ever read “The Real Lincoln”?

I've not read the book. But from what I've seen of the book, even Stalin and Hitler would deserve better treatment than what Lincoln got from DiLorenzo.

Here's a link to Bush speech writer Ken Masugi's response to DiLorenzo's book. A lot of people who are against things that need to be opposed mistakenly make Lincoln the enemy. A better book would be The Real Woodrow Wilson. He, not Lincoln, is the guy who started the downward trend.

A conservative rebuttal of The Real Lincoln

[fieldmarshaldj]

Watch Jeff Daniels play the hero of the Battle of Little Round Top, Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain in "Gettysburg" and you'll have a whole new respect for him. One of his best roles, bar none.

[RobbyS]

Make up can do wonders. But Mary Todd was always plump and became matronly after four children. Lincoln was always lanky with a walk like a plowman. In manner and speech, someone once likened him to a prosperous New England Farmer. No one but buffs, of course, will know this. My main reservation, bottom line, is Spielberg. Is he up to it? In the end, depends on the script more than the actors, both of whom are, of course, capable—although, as someone has suggesed, Holly Hunter is better than Fields. Spielberg , of course, made good use of Neeson before. Anyway, hope it turns out well for Mr. Lincoln’s bicentennial.

[Mr. Jeeves]

(Watch out for liberals trying to steal a Republican Hero)

After reading the tone of FR posts in recent years, I thought we had already kicked Lincoln out, anyway. ;)

[angcat]

I think this actor played a queer on the Sopranos’s. Johnnie Cakes.

[the OlLine Rebel]

I guess you don’t think Barry Bostwick was superb as Washington? He was!

[the OlLine Rebel]

You should actually read it.

To me, the main point is that the existence of “Real Lincoln” in itself balances out all the fawning praise of the man. I don’t think there’s 1 book ever written about Lincoln that’s ever been really critical of him. It’s all been worshipful praise. “RL” provides the balance.

[gusopol3]

I’m glad we can end in agreement. Thanks.

[wardaddy]

You are just lashing out at the past Colonel.

To try to lay blame for black dependence on Democrats at the feet White southerners whose ancestors 2 generations ago may have been Democrats.

[Bernard Marx]

So, a bunch of hard core lefties are making a Lincoln movie based on a book written by a hard core lefty plagerist. I’ll pass.

My thought exactly. In addition to being a plagiarist, Goodwin's other claim to fame is her boast that she slept with LBJ. Now that conjures up some really frightening/disgusting mental images!

[Alouette]

Sally Field has been cast as Mary Todd Lincoln

Hmm, will she be as good as Mary Tyler Moore?

[Alouette]

I would love to see Tommy Lee Jones as Lincoln.

[longtermmemmory]

...alternative lifestyle lincholn? Hollyweird is going to have a fieldday.

[Jack Black]

I read the rebuttal and am not so impressed.

There are many other sources about Lincolns words and deeds, so I don’t thin the author of “The Real Lincoln” took things out of context.

The largest open question was “Did Southern States have the right to leave the Union”. Legally, I think it is impossible to answer anyway but “yes” without going into contortions like 2nd Ammendment deniers do.

From his original sin of thinking he had the right to force sovereign states that were in a voluntary union to stay in that union when the no longer wanted to — all the other sins follow.

[Jack Black]

from the rebuttal "Secession is the same as revolution, as secessionists must admit when pressed, and therefore no legal right of secession can exist. There is indeed a moral duty to rebel against an illegitimate government; the test of legitimacy is whether a government protects natural rights."

Not true! Would EU Member States be in 'revolution' if they choose to withdraw from the EU? Would Brussels be justified in sending NATO troops to force a reluctant Britan or Poland to stay in the EU?

I think that is a very apt analogy for what Lincoln did.

[CT-Freeper]

the plaything and political football for Europe

Would that be the American football, or European football?? ;-)

[Badeye]

‘Sally Field has been cast as Mary Todd Lincoln, the wife of Abraham Lincoln, in Steven Spielberg’s long-awaited biopic of one of the most important leaders of all time.’

The irony is Mary Todd Lincoln was institutionalized for being stark raving insane....which would have been Sally Field’s fate back then, based on her hysterics....(chuckle)

Poor Gidget.