Lincoln Page #23

Synopsis: Lincoln is a 2012 American epic historical drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as United States President Abraham Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln. The screenplay by Tony Kushner was loosely based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, and covers the final four months of Lincoln's life, focusing on the President's efforts in January 1865 to have the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives.
Production: Dreamworks Pictures
  Won 2 Oscars. Another 108 wins & 242 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.4
Metacritic:
86
Rotten Tomatoes:
90%
PG-13
Year:
2012
150 min
$129,477,447
Website
864,552 Views


ALEXANDER STEPHENS

If we're not to discuss a truce

between warring nations, what in

heaven's name can we discuss?

GRANT:

Terms of surrender.

EXT. THE JAMES RIVER DOCK AT CITY POINT, VIRGINIA - DAY

As a somber Grant disembarks with his aides from the River

QUEEN:

GRANT (V.O.)

"Office United States Military

Telegraph, War Dept. For Abraham

Lincoln, President of the United

States. January 20, 1865. I will

71.

state confidentially that I am

convinced, upon conversation with

these Commissioners, that their

intentions are good and their

desire sincere to restore peace and

union. I fear now their going back,

without any expression of

interest..."

Seward's voice takes over from Grant's.

GRANT (V.O.) (CONT'D) SEWARD (V.O.)

"...from anyone in authority, "...from anyone in authority,

Mr. Lincoln..." Mr. Lincoln..."

INT. SEWARD MANSION, LAFAYETTE SQUARE, WASHINGTON - NIGHT

Seward's in a fancy robe and slippers, reading a telegram.

SEWARD:

"...will have a bad influence.

I will be sorry should it prove

impossible for you to have an

interview with them. I am awaiting

your instructions. U.S. Grant,

Lieutenant General Commanding

Armies United States"

Lincoln is in his coat, shawl over his shoulders, holding his

hat.

LINCOLN:

After four years of war and near

600,000 lives lost. He believes we

can end this war now.

My trust in him is marrow deep.

Seward looks up at Lincoln, then down again at the telegram.

He stands and crosses to Lincoln.

SEWARD:

You could bring the delegates to

Washington. In exchange for the

South's immediate surrender, we

could promise them the amendment's

defeat. They'd agree, don't you

think? We'd end the war. This week.

Lincoln has closed his eyes.

72.

SEWARD (CONT'D)

Or. If you could manage, without

seeming to do it, to -

Lincoln shakes his head "no."

SEWARD (CONT'D)

The peace delegation might

encounter delays as they travel up

the James River. Particularly with

the fighting around Wilmington.

Within ten days time, we might pass

the Thirteenth Amendment.

INT. HALLWAY, THE WHITE HOUSE - LATE NIGHT

Lincoln, shawl still wrapped around him, walks the long empty

hall.

INT. LINCOLN'S OFFICE, WHITE HOUSE - LATE NIGHT

Lincoln sits before an open window. He's dishevelled, in

shirtsleeves an unbuttoned vest, next to an inkwell, papers

and books of law scattered about, and a lit candle in a

candlestick, guttering. Grant's telegraph is in one hand, and

in the other hand, his spectacles and, dangling from a chain,

his open pocket watch. His bare left foot keeps time with the

watch's loud ticking. He stares out into the cold night.

INT. JOHN HAY AND JOHN NICOLAY'S BEDROOM - EVEN LATER

The room is spare and neat. Nicolay and Hay are asleep in

their beds.

Lincoln is sitting at the foot of Hay's bed, spectacles on,

reading a petition, the others in his lap, pencil in hand.

LINCOLN:

Now, here's a sixteen year old boy.

They're going to hang him...

Hay startles awake, then settles. He's used to this.

LINCOLN (CONT'D)

(he reads a little

FURTHER:
)

He was with the 15th Indiana

Calvary near Beaufort, seems he

lamed his horse to avoid battle.

I don't think even Stanton would

73.

complain if I pardoned him? You

think Stanton would complain?

Nicolay stirs in the next bed.

JOHN HAY:

Ummm... I don't know, sir, I don't

know who you're, uh... What time is

it?

LINCOLN:

It's three forty in the morning.

JOHN NICOLAY:

(not waking up:
)

Don't... let him pardon any more

deserters...

Nicolay's asleep again.

JOHN HAY:

Mr. Stanton thinks you pardon too

many. He's generally apoplectic on

the subject -

LINCOLN:

He oughtn't to have done that,

crippled his horse, that was cruel,

but you don't just hang a sixteen

year old boy for that -

JOHN HAY:

Ask the horse what he thinks.

LINCOLN:

- for cruelty. There'd be no

sixteen year old boys left.

(a beat, then:
)

Grant wants me to bring the secesh

delegates to Washington.

JOHN HAY:

So... There are secesh delegates?

Rate this script:2.9 / 8 votes

Tony Kushner

Anthony Robert "Tony" Kushner (born July 16, 1956) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 for his play Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. He co-authored with Eric Roth the screenplay for the 2005 film Munich, and he wrote the screenplay for the 2012 film Lincoln, both critically acclaimed movies. For his work, he received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013. more…

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