People
Hollywood role for Queen's historian
Professor Catherine Clinton was a consultant on Steven Spielberg's Lincoln film
Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field may be the stars of Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln film, but a member of Queen’s staff had her own role to play in bringing the film to the big screen.
Professor Catherine Clinton, Chair of American History in the School of History and Anthropology, was a consultant on the film which has received 12 Academy Award nominations. Ahead of this month’s Oscar ceremony, Queen’s Now spoke to Catherine to find out more.
Professor Clinton first met Steven Spielberg in 2005 when she was invited, along with several other scholars, to share her ideas about Lincoln. By then, Spielberg had bought the rights to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book about Lincoln, Team of Rivals, and Professor Clinton was writing her biography of Mary Lincoln, Mrs Lincoln: A Life.
Recalling that first meeting, Catherine said: “It was great to share ideas with fellow scholars but it was really exciting to be in the room with screenwriter Tony Kushner, who is one of the most compelling voices in American drama, and to hear Spielberg speak with such passion, curiosity and creativity.
“Following our meeting, and in great Hollywood fashion, the producer, director and screenwriter went off and we had no idea what they were doing.”
Six years later in 2011 Professor Clinton was approached by producer Kathleen Kennedy to become a consultant on the film. This involved working closely with the film’s costume designer Joanna Johnston to bring historical images of the Lincolns to life and carrying out costume research on a range of queries, including one on Lincoln’s handkerchief.
On a visit to Richmond during filming Professor Clinton met the actress, Sally Field, who plays Mary Lincoln. “I was thrilled when I found out Sally Field was reading my biography and was even more excited to have dinner with her. It was so exciting to talk to the actress who was playing the person I had wrestled with for so many years. As an author it is great to meet someone who finds your subject more exciting than you do.”
Commenting on the importance of films and history, Catherine said: “I don’t think most historians recognise film as a collaborative art form – as most sit writing their books in a fairly isolated manner. With a film there are literally hundreds if not thousands of components fitting together to make the film work.
“I think of myself as a film buff, as much as an historian. I grew up with a deep reverence for films as cultural icons and I use historical films to teach my students at Queen’s.”
Speaking about the hotly contested issue of historical accuracy in films, Catherine said: “Sacrifices are made in films and no matter how much we debate objectivity and accuracy, we are all struggling with the same issues of trying to provide convincing material to our audience. But I will confess that I have a much more populist approach than other historians to these matters.”
Professor Clinton is delighted with the final film.
“I had high hopes for the film but when I saw it for the first time it was beyond all my expectations. Both Sally Field and Daniel Day-Lewis have brought to life the characters I have struggled with in my research for years.
“The Lincoln film was an incredible opportunity to characterise the 16th President, this historical actor, and I am privileged to have been a part of that.”
