Has anyone not seen the Hal Holbrook Lincoln miniseries? Maybe the young kids have just stuck to the Daniel Day Lewis movie, but back in my day, this 1974 six-parter was practically required watching. Hal immortalized the beloved president, which is why I have no idea why he'd want to "change his image" and play bad guys in the late 1970s. Everyone loved him; why rock the boat?
In any case, let's hope you haven't seen him in the villain roles (never rent Natural Enemies, please!) and can just enjoy him as Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain. This is a fantastic miniseries that boasts a huge supporting cast as everyone clambered to represent a part of his life. This doesn't cover his childhood, so Hal plays Abe the entire time. It's very thorough, and you'll learn a lot if you're supplementing your history class or just want to know more about that time in history. With Sada Thompson as Mary, Normal Burton as Grant, Ed Flanders as McClellan, Lloyd Nolan and Whit Bissell as William Seward, James Carroll Jordan as Robert Lincoln, and Beulah Bondi, Elizabeth Ashley, Richard Dysart, Anne Seymour, and Stacy Keach, there will be familiar faces around every corner.
A staple from the decade of fantastic miniseries, this has high production values, a thoughtful script, and actors who try their hardest. You feel like you've stepped back in time when you watch it; the only thing that will get you closer is by watching a Ken Burns documentary!
