Lincoln

The life of Abraham Lincoln is something nearly all American children know even before we can barely speak. He is perhaps the most revered American president and deserves only the greatest treatment on film. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as the titular president as he tries to get the 13th Amendment (which abolished slavery) passed. The film details the steps that Lincoln and his cabinet took to get the requisite votes from Congress in order to pass the amendment. Although there's nothing less that can be expected from Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg, this film is spectacular with many deserved awards and nominations. While Daniel Day-Lewis is nearly always the stand-out in any of his films, I feel like I spent much of the movie being surprised as to who was "beneath that beard" and amazed by all performances.