This 2010 Robert Redford film stars James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Tom Wilkinson, and Kevin Kline. It is set immediately after President Abraham Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865. Seven men and one woman were arrested for taking part in the conspiracy to kill Lincoln, Secretary of State William H. Seward, and Vice-President Andrew Johnson. The woman, Mary Surratt (Wright), owned a boarding house in which her son John hosted secret meetings with the conspirators. Her defense in a military tribunal was handed to a reluctant Frederick Aiken (McAvoy), a Union veteran who did not wish to defend a Southerner whom he believed was in fact guilty of conspiring to kill the President. As the trial proceeds, however, Aiken realizes that the bigger issue is not whether Mrs. Surratt is guilty or innocent, but how she was being tried. He soon becomes passionate about defending her Constitutional right to a trial by peers, even during wartime, and risks his job and reputation in order to do so. It is a very gripping story, and those who love history (like me) will be especially entertained. It is a very smart, poignant, and relevant film -- and an effective political statement.
Should you see it: Yes
Grade: B+
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