Lincoln (2012)

Lincoln is a 2012 American biographical historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as United States President Abraham Lincoln. The film features Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, and Tommy Lee Jones in supporting roles. Its screenplay by Tony Kushner was loosely based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's 2005 biography Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln and covers the final four months of Lincoln's life. The film focuses on President Lincoln's efforts in January 1865 to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude by having the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution passed by the United States House of Representatives.

Lincoln was produced by Spielberg and frequent collaborator Kathleen Kennedy, through their respective production companies, Amblin Entertainment and the Kennedy/Marshall Company. Filming began October 17, 2011, and ended on December 19, 2011. It premiered on October 8, 2012, at the New York Film Festival. The film was co-produced by American companies DreamWorks Pictures, 20th Century Fox and Participant Media, along with Indian company Reliance Entertainment. It was distributed theatrically by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through the Touchstone Pictures label in the United States and Canada on November 16, 2012, and by 20th Century Fox in international territories.

Lincoln was acclaimed by critics, who lauded its acting (especially Day-Lewis'), Spielberg's direction, and its production values. It was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and winning Best Actor (Motion Picture – Drama) for Day-Lewis. At the 85th Academy Awards, it received twelve nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director; it won for Best Production Design and Best Actor for Day-Lewis, his third in the category. It was also a commercial success, grossing over $275 million at the box office. It has since been ranked as one of the best films of Spielberg's career and one of the greatest films of the 21st century.