criterioncollection YouTube Channel: Henry Fonda on Young Mr. Lincoln - Henry Fonda describes working with John Ford and playing Abraham Lincoln. Uploaded December 4, 2012. criterioncollectionhttp://youtu.be/c7dj36eo4Vc
The historical inaccuracies depicted in Steven Spielberg's much-lauded film "Lincoln" DO matter, even if screenwriter Tony Kushner claims they don't, and besides, don't we know he's got artistic license to say things that are NOT true; Contrast with John Ford's "Young Mr. Lincoln" with Henry Fonda; Kushner needs to take his lumps like a man for his own mistakes and stop whining about being picked-onTheWrap
Tony Kushner to Congressman on Inaccuracy: 'Lincoln' Is Drama, Not History
By Alexander C. Kaufman
Published: February 08, 2013 @ 9:11 am
Tony Kushner hit back on Friday at a Connecticut congressman who complained about historical inaccuracies in the Oscar-nominated "Lincoln," saying his factual tweaks added to the film's drama.
On Tuesday, Democratic Connecticut Rep. Joe Courtney wrote an open letter to director Steven Spielberg, about the inaccuracies. In the film, two congressmen from his home state vote against 13th Amendment and two voted for -- but archives in the House of Representatives show that the entire Nutmeg State's delegation said "yea" to the abolition of slavery.
Read the rest of the article at:
So you mean the J.L. Chamberlain of Gettysburg fame wasn't really a woman that looked like Rachel McAdams? Damn them!
Meanwhile, later yesterday afternoon...
The Washington Post
Joe Courtney gets in spat with Tony Kushner over ‘Lincoln’,
Posted by Rachel Weiner on February 8, 2013 at 3:03 pm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/02/08/joe-courtney-gets-in-spat-with-tony-kushner-over-lincoln/
When he did 'Young Mr. Lincoln' with Henry Fonda, director John Ford did NOT engage in a multi-month, multi-media publicity tour around the world to pat himself and his production team on the back when telling journos about how much time and care the crew took to be as historically accurate as possible.
He acknowledged that his awesome task in bringing to the screen a telling snapshot of the early history of such a legendary man would inevitably require incorporating some aspects of the Lincoln legend as well, and he was more than willing to do so to help paint the larger picture.
So that's what he did.
This scene is fiction:
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/347152/Young-Mr-Lincoln-Movie-Clip-Blessed-Are-The-Merciful.html
Ford made no excuses for that, and audiences well-understood that when they entered the theater in 1939 to see the film, that it was not a scrupulously-footnoted treatise, rather it was an honest attempt by a very talented director and cast to make better known the character traits of a beloved and martyred American's early life, so they'd better appreciate and understand the later actions and difficult choices he made once elected president in 1860 of a country about to come apart at the seams.
Contrast that with what we have all witnessed with the marketing of this film, Lincoln.
That's the difference right there -false advertising.
Be what you want to be, but don't keep patting yourself on the back and taking bows for going the extra mile when it's not honestly earned.
Watch Young Mr. Lincoln in its entirety above at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJKWguqabUU
Might I strongly suggest that anyone planning on doing a Revolutionary War pic anytime soon -not that there is one- avoid the temptation to rewrite American history as has been done here, and have someone other than Caesar Rodney of Delaware be the person depicted as the sickly delegate to the Continental Congress who rode by horseback for 80 miles to get to Philadelphia.
After all, Caesar Rodney's vote in Philadelphia was as important as the ones cast by Adams, Jefferson or Hancock, but outside the Mid-Atlantic states, few people know of his important role in creating the Declaration of Independence, since he wasn't known as an orator.
But guess who's on the U.S. quarter representing the State of Delaware?
And in Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol building?
Caesar Rodney.
But guess who's on the U.S. quarter representing the State of Delaware?
And in Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol building?
Caesar Rodney.
Why?
The reverse was designed and engraved by William Cousins.
That's why he's the person on the U.S. quarter representing the State of Delaware -and in Statuary Hall inside the U.S. Capitol building.
http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/national-statuary-hall-collection/caesar-rodneyThen as well as now, one brave person can make a positive difference.
And isn't that the whole point of the new film?
Americans and film-goers around the world who do NOT know the true facts about certain aspects of U.S. history, for instance, the vote depicted in 'Lincoln,' will believe what they see in the film.
I know this because I received an object lesson in this first-hand while visiting Stockholm for over a week in January.
While there, I had a chance to speak to some very well-educated and well-informed people at a social gathering, who at one point mentioned that they'd recently seen the film and liked it very much.
While there, I had a chance to speak to some very well-educated and well-informed people at a social gathering, who at one point mentioned that they'd recently seen the film and liked it very much.
Those particular movie-goers, along with many others around the world and across the U.S., believe the film to be the gospel, in large part because of the high caliber of the people associated with the film, starting from the top.
It wasn't my intention to rain on their parade, but I felt that since they seemed pretty bright, they'd appreciate knowing the truth.
But when I told them that there were, in fact, some inaccuracies in the film, they told me that "Spielberg would never do that in a film about a real person" and looked at me angrily.
But when I told them that there were, in fact, some inaccuracies in the film, they told me that "Spielberg would never do that in a film about a real person" and looked at me angrily.
There's your problem in a nut-shell -facts do matter.
Tony Kushner got caught.
He needs to take his lumps like a man for his own mistakes and stop whining about being picked-on.
