Movie Review: Young Mr. Lincoln

Synopsis: The movie chronicles the early adulthood of Abraham Lincoln, following his journey from lowly store clerk to self-taught lawyer. It mostly focuses on his first big law case in which he defends two brothers accused of murdering a local ruffian.

Historical Accuracy:
This is a bit of a tough one to call. Although the plot is almost entirely fictionalized, many of the details are accurate enough that they balance out a bit. For example, the case that takes up the majority of the movie was made up for the purposes of the film, but the defense Lincoln used was from a famous case he defended. In any case, the plot is really unimportant in a movie like this, which was more interested in getting at Lincoln's character than getting the exact chronology of his life. Even so, you wouldn't want school kids to think this is gospel truth.
Grade: C+


Period Detail:
Unlike many other Hollywood films of the period, this one looks like it takes place in the correct time period. Little touches like Lincoln playing the Jew Harp and the parade of Revolutionary War veterans add nice bits of period flair. My only gripe was that the opening and closing music were songs from the Civil War era, which was still several decades away from the action of the film. I can see how they could be considered foreshadowing, but it still bothered me. Still, it was a good job overall.
Grade: A


Casting:
I could go on about all the supporting players in this movie and how they were great, but that would be missing the point. In order for this movie to work, they had to cast one person right, and that's Abraham Lincoln. Not only is Henry Fonda right for the role, he's perfect for it. Nobody else will have that kind of face that just seems to emanate goodness or a voice that sounds humble, soft, and sweet. Even under the (surprisingly realistic) makeup, Fonda shines and embodies Lincoln in a way that wraps myth and man together. 
Grade: A+


Quality of the Film:
Like many classic films, Young Mr. Lincoln is a little bit slower and little bit more cornball than what modern audiences are used to seeing. However, director John Ford injects a naturalism and a sense of integrity into the film that make it stand out above other movies. Not only is this an enjoyable movie, it's a great one.
Grade: A 

Movie Review: 1776

At my elementary school, watching 1776 (1972) in 5th grade was the closest thing we got to watching a non-kid film. Although it was rated G, the characters still uttered some mild swear words, and each one garnered a moment of hushed glee. As a lover of both history and musicals, it's not surprising that I loved 1776 as a kid- so much so that I was a little afraid to watch it again in case it didn't hold up.

I watched it again over the weekend, and was pleased to conclude it held up very well indeed. I finally got to watch the bits with Jefferson's wife that our teachers always fast-forwarded through, and all those flashbacks to Abigail made a lot more sense. But was it actually accurate? 

Historical Accuracy:

There are two major inaccuracies in the movie, but at least both add to the drama of the movie (which is more than I can say for Magnificent Doll). First of all, Martha Jefferson never came to Philadelphia, nor would she because of her delicate health. Secondly, Caesar Rodney, one of the delegates from Delaware, was not actually on his deathbed, although he was suffering from skin cancer. However, despite these inaccuracies along with a little simplification of people's characters, the movie is quite accurate.

Grade: B+

Period Detail:

Having been to Historical Philadelphia several times, I can vouch for the fact that the scenery looks correct. The costumes are also well done, along with the interior space of Independence Hall. All in all, somebody's hard work paid off, because the movie looks like it takes place in the right location during the right time.

Grade: A

Casting:

William Daniels (aka Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World) is a real treat as John Adams. He manages to convey his brilliance and passion, while also showing how he could get in his own way. The rest of the cast plays their parts with panache, with the exception of the actor playing Thomas Jefferson, who was just a little too blandly handsome for my taste, but the role didn't give him all that much to do. I was going to say something about how the acting can be a little over the top, but then I realized I was talking about a movie musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and that was kind of the whole point.

Grade: A-

Quality of the Film:

1776 is by no means a perfect film, but it is endearingly earnest in its attempts to uncover what American independence really meant. It is also honest about the less savory aspects of the process, including the devil's bargain made in regards to slavery. The songs aren't the catchiest and the dancing is amateur, but this is a movie with its heart in the right place that also manages to convey some pretty important themes about what it means to be an American.

Grade: A-

Movie Review: Magnificent Doll

A new series about the depiction of presidents in film. 


In the interest of consistency for these reviews, I am going to be using four distinct categories on which to grade them, using letter grades. These categories are: 


Historical Accuracy - How much of the plot was accurate? Was there any noticeable bias? How much of the plot was based on supposition?


Period Detail - Were the costumes, locations, and sets accurate? Were they at least not distractingly bad?


Casting - How well did the actors portray the historical figures? Were they distracting or helpful in their interpretations?


Quality of the Film - Was the movie actually any good? Did the inaccuracies (or accuracies!) get in the way of the plot?


So, without further ado, I give you Magnificent Doll.

I love old movies. I like my heroes heroic, my villains dastardly, and my romances chaste, but even I couldn't say Magnificent Doll (1946) was a good movie.


That is not to say I didn't enjoy the heck out of it. Any movie where James Madison is played by the Penguin is going to be worth watching, but Magnificent Doll is so much a product of its times, it suffers. 


Synopsis:
The movie covers the life of Dolley Madison from her girlhood in Virginia to her time as First Lady, but mostly focuses on the time between her first marriage and the death of Alexander Hamilton. Dolley is contracted into a loveless Quaker marriage with her first husband, who dies tragically in the Yellow Fever epidemic of Philadelphia. She and her mother take in boarders to make money, and their first boarder is none other than Aaron Burr, who takes a shine to Dolley. Through Burr she meets James Madison, whose gentle brilliance wins her over, even though she still has feelings for Burr. She gets over Burr when he attempts to take over the United States using mostly a lot of mustache twirling, and realizes James Madison is actually pretty awesome (and shockingly young looking for a man 17 years her senior).
Historical Accuracy:
Magnificent Doll is accurate in some respects, and totally off the mark in most others. It got the basic chronology and major points of Dolley Madison's life, but all the details are either fudged or completely wrong. There are too many to list here, but suffice to say, Dolley Madison was not the reason Aaron Burr conceded the presidency to Jefferson. The most glaringly awful changes had to do with her first marriage. There is no reason to suppose that Dolley Madison was forced to marry John Todd. Also, in the movie Dolley's entire family died in the Yellow Fever epidemic. While her husband and son did die, her first son survived and lived with her and James Madison. 
Grade: D


Period Detail:
Old Hollywood never let history get in the way of a good story (or an opportunity to reuse sets and costumes), so saying the movie was lacking in period detail supposes that the filmmakers had any interest in the historical period they were depicting. The dresses are not only wrong, they are hideous, and somehow manage to make Ginger Rogers look bad. 
Grade: F


Casting:
Without a doubt, the casting was the best part of Magnificent Doll, and it was still pretty patchy. I was skeptical about David Niven in the role of Aaron Burr, but he twirls his metaphorical mustache with great aplomb and manages to make Dolley's (historically inaccurate) attraction to him plausible. Burgess Meredith brings a quiet sweetness to James Madison, even though he is much too young for the role. The weakest link was definitely Ginger Rogers. Normally, I love Ginger Rogers, but it was pretty obvious she was doing this movie because of her contract with the studio, most likely with a gun pointed to her head if her line readings were any indication. Still, the casting was good overall.
Grade: B


Quality of Film:
The screenplay for Magnificent Doll was written by Irving Stone, a popular writer of historical fiction from the 40s and 50s. Random lines like, "I don't think your cousin, Patrick Henry, would approve of that!" attempt to give historical context, but instead make the dialogue clunky and unbelieveable. It seems like nobody really cared enough about this movie to try and make it good, so they just settled for mediocre. Still, the excellent cast and ridiculous melodrama are fun, if not high quality.
Grade: C


Overall: C


You can view Magnificent Doll here if you are interested.