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'Lincoln' is a powerful film. It's one of those epic films that talk about this very specific issue in history of the United States.

The only thing that surprised me about 'Lincoln' is that most of the critics who reviewed the film seem not to have grasped what should have been apparent right from the start, which is that 'Lincoln' is at bottom a play with pictures, not a screenplay.

One decision I made in writing 'Henry and Clara' was that I would keep Lincoln's appearances and any dialogue by him to an absolute minimum, because I think readers don't quite believe it when novelists have Lincoln walking around and saying things. They just know they're in the presence of stage machinery.

And, finally, Lincoln was not a good impromptu speaker; he was at his best when he could read from a carefully prepared manuscript. Though maybe a teleprompter could have helped that!

'Lincoln' is impressive enough to almost make you forget how much Daniel Day-Lewis dominates the endeavor.

I seem to have no problem revealing my crush on the man who murdered Lincoln.

I think Lincoln had a unique parenting style. He let his kids run free and wild.

I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator.

I think also there's no question that Lincoln has been diluted down through history in some way, almost by becoming as iconic as he is, in a way he's become diluted.

I walked out of Spielberg's 'Lincoln' having such a thirst for more. It used such a microscopic albeit enormous event in American history. It used such a small piece of his presidency to illustrate him as a president through the lens of that event.