Lawrence Clark

If only there was source material that could have assisted in telling a riveting story that has never been told on film - oh, wait… James Swanson gave you EVERYTHING you needed & it was just squandered. From grossly inflating Stanton’s fictional “dirt-under-the-fingernails” investigation, to virtually ignoring the incredible police work done to track down the conspirators, one-by-one, James Swanson’s 2007 Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer WAS the script! His page turning true crime drama was masterfully researched & put into exquisite story form. Screenwriter Monica Beletsky was set up to be a hero. She was handed the ball on the 5 & she fumbled on the one just as time ran out! From the beardless (yes, it DOES matter) Stanton’s oddly familiar Casual Friday approach to repeatedly calling the president, “Abe”, which was irritating enough, but then the idiocy of having the Secretary of War leave the safety of his home to help break up a potential riot - after the assassination, no less - is just absurd. Not enough set up of Booth’s state of mind, before, during & after ‘That Night’. Omitting pivotal characters like Everton Conger. The libelous speculation that Stanton was responsible for the missing pages of Booth’s diary. Glossing over young Willie Jett’s role & casting a 40 year old to play him. I have long been surprised that the Lincoln assassination had never been the main focus of a major motion picture before. In casting it in my head, 30 years ago, Johnny Depp was my Booth. Later, l thought, a young Matthew McConaughey would be good. But the monochrome & flat performances of just about every single character takes me back to the problem: the pathetic writing & character development was gross malpractice. The story Apple TV tried to tell doesn't come close to Swanson’s masterpiece, which makes no sense to me. I feel bad for him, waiting almost 20 years to finally give his words life, heart & meaning, and this was all we got? What a shame!

This was a good movie that had the potential to be a great movie! Exquisite filmmaking, beautifully shot & wonderfully performed. However, in an obvious effort to not proselytize, St. (Mother) Cabrini’s faith in God is barely acknowledged, let alone examined. She is beautifully portrayed by Cristiana Dell’Anna, but her performance shrinks from the unexamined spiritual nature that propelled Mother Cabrini. She never seems to have doubt; never waivers from her mission. And even (in one scene) Pope Leo XIII says, “l can’t tell where your Faith ends, and your ambition begins…” What we get is a cardboard Wonder Woman cutout in a habit, instead of a complex flesh & bone portrayal of a woman held back by the male-dominated hierarchy in the Church, not to mention the secular hierarchy in NYC. John Lithgow as the fictional Mayor Gould is absolutely worth his weight in gold, as the stereotypical & venomous waspy politician. Lithgow is simply one of the best actors of this or any generation! Truth is, to fully tell the story of the Patron Saint of lmmigrants would require a 13 part miniseries & not a 2.25 hour movie. Bottom line: Well worth it, but too spare in the faith department !