This is yet another "historical" look at the life of Lincoln (Tom Amandes) as seen through the eyes of Ward Hill Lamon (Lea Coco), his friend and bodyguard. The film starts with their meeting and ends shortly after Lincoln's death.The acting was first and foremost horrible. The reading of the Gettysburg Address was akin to Rosanne Barr performing the National Anthem. The dialogue was unrealistic, at times modern, and mostly fictional. The theological discussion Lincoln has with a former slave had me scratch my head. His kneeling afterwards and belief that he had a divine purpose was Lamon's answer to Herdon's biography which claimed Lincoln was an atheist. I wouldn't put either view into a film.The background was taken from 3D viewmaster pictures and even crowds were still photos with "actors" in front of them. It gave the film a cheap surreal look. Historically I was scratching my head too. Upon their meeting they wanted Hill to perform a song from West Virginia which wasn't a state at that time. The famous picture of Washington which we all looked at in school with its bottom partially burned off from the War of 1812 was fully intact in this film. Edward D. Baker died in Oct. of 1861 but is presented at a time of the announcements of battles well into 1862.There is a constant self glorification of Ward Hill Lamon whose speech was grandiose and yes he was also an Amazing Kreskin at predicting the death of the President. Not an impressive film.

During the years of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War there was quite a renewal of interest in the War Between the States and the massive Lincoln film came out the year before Saving Lincoln did. With all the honors that film received Saving Lincoln has been kind of pushed into the background. Still it is a film that stands on its own merits.I remember Tom Amandes best from his reprise of The Untouchables as Eliot Ness. He certainly proved up to the challenge of playing Abraham Lincoln. One thing that is shown here and not often demonstrated was how politically shrewd and how deceptively cunning Lincoln could be at times. A quality lacking certainly in his immediate successor.Also demonstrated is the amount of abuse Lincoln took and how now in history he rises head and shoulders above his critics. Presidential dignity was of paramount importance to him and to the men who were president who history has deemed great. I suspect had Twitter been available he would have disdained its use.In terms of devotion to his chief Ward Hill Lamon was the ideal presidential aide. He was appointed a federal marshal for the District of Columbia to give him a kind of official status. His job simply was to guard Lincoln and Lincoln being our tallest president didn't make it easy. In real life Lamon was nearly that height himself.. The singular devotion is brought out by actor Lea Coco playing Lamon.A key scene in the film is where Lincoln first meets Lamon. The attorneys who rode circuit with Lincoln and you see them in the tavern knocking back a few after a day's work were the people who were Lincoln's close associates. The guys who knew him when so to speak. The bonds formed there were the strongest ties Lincoln had, maybe even more so than his wife played here by Penelope Ann Miller.Saving Lincoln will give you another perspective on the man most historians rank as our greatest president. He certainly faced the greatest challenge we ever had as a nation.

A very different angle on a popular figure in history: that of a self-appointed bodyguard. What hits you first is the unique look of the film. Hard to describe, clearly CG but surreal black and white backgrounds project the foreground subjects almost into your lap! When Lincoln makes an address, the stylized crowds come across as evocative, almost haunting. Again, you have to see it to experience it. On the down side, actors did not look much like their historical counterparts but did act well. Also, Lincoln wasn't tall enough! There is clearly some license taken with Abe's statements but probably to work them into the story. I found the length of time one had to stand still for pictures back then excruciating, if accurate. I thought Tom Amandes' interpretation of the Gettysburg Address one of the best in film.

I enjoyed the film for its portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln from the perspective of his confidant, Ward Lamon Hill, and the use of the photographs from the Civil War era. The scenes tended to play out so fast that it would at first seem improbable to develop sympathy for the characters, but it turned out that it was not at all the case. I felt that there were many shining moments in the film, especially when you got pulled in by the emotionally captivating speech at the end of the seance. It was probably tough to try to cram President Lincoln's life into a duration of less than 2 hours, but I loved the music and that it was, well, different.President Lincoln has been my favorite historical figure, and I learned so much more about him from watching this film.