Synopsis
At an isolated log cabin in the harsh wilderness of Indiana circa 1817, the rhythms of love, tragedy, and the daily hardships of life on the developing frontier shaped one of our nation’s greatest heroes: Abraham Lincoln. Abe is a thoughtful and quiet boy who spends his days at the side of his beloved mother while learning to work the land from his stern father. When illness takes his mother, Abe's new guardian angel comes in the form of his new stepmother, who sees the potential in the boy and pushes for his further education.
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Cast
- Diane KrugerSarah Lincoln
- Jason ClarkeTom Lincoln
- Brit MarlingNancy Lincoln
- Wes BentleyMr. Crawford
- Braydon DenneyAbraham Lincoln
- Cameron Mitchell WilliamsDennis
- McKenzie BlankenshipSally
- Ryan McFallJohnny
- Madison StiltnerMatilda
- Bruce BayardOncle Samuel
Recommendations
- 80
The Dissolve
Do the undeniably Malick-derived qualities of The Better Angels work against it, or is the film all the more special for being, essentially, a bonus Malick picture? To be fair to Edwards, a lot about The Better Angels sets it apart from Malick. - 60
TheWrap
Mr. Edwards has given his film a strong narrative spine — depicting years in the life of young Abraham Lincoln as his family suffers and strives to succeed in Indiana — with such committed actors bringing life to the tale that the audience can't help but be engaged even as the staid, stark visuals keep viewers at arm's length. - 60
New York Daily News
If you succumb to The Better Angels, the effect is like falling into a gorgeous photograph, but that also means the narrative in this arthouse film is oblique and sketchy. - 58
The A.V. Club
As an impression of a Terrence Malick film, The Better Angels is technically faultless, unimprovable. All that’s missing is the soul. - 50
New York Post
Rendering the life of young Abraham Lincoln as a tone poem, The Better Angels sags under the weight of its own resolute earnestness. - 50
Los Angeles Times
In the absence of a more conventional storytelling approach, this series of brief, fragmented glimpses of the harsh challenges that shaped Lincoln's early life never allows you to get sufficiently close to its celebrated subject. - 40
Time Out
The main flaw — twirling farm girls and grunting oxen aside — is an utter lack of insight into the future leader’s character. - 40
The New York Times
The sense of predestination hangs heavily over the movie, but not a sense of life.