I can’t help but wonder if the small, but ever-present, backlash towards the previous trailer caused an entire re-thinking of this one. With the usage of nostalgic imagery from throughout the history of our nation, this new spot seems to be yelling for us to understand the film’s relevancy to the zeitgeist. In case we didn’t know how important Abraham Lincoln was, this new film will tell us – broadly, sentimentally. The actual footage from the film (assuming the general Americana stuff won’t be apart) looks pretty much the same as the old one. Could this be a band-aid on a bullet hole? I don’t know why, but I can’t get on board for this movie. I just feel like something new about Lincoln, something intimate or unknown, would have to be probed for this film to have a purpose. Otherwise, I keep wondering, “What the point?” See John Ford’s Young Mr. Lincoln for an excellent look at the man.

Either way, here’s the spot: