Young Mr. Lincoln1939Young Mr. Lincoln
1939
As a young lawyer in New Salem and Springfield, Abraham Lincoln takes on his first great case: two brothers accused of murder, whose mother refuses to say which of them did it.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
Lincoln as a humble, witty, honest young lawyer who talks down a lynch mob and defends a widow's sons. Reverence for the law and for one of America's greatest men.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
A fatal fight with a stabbing (seen at a distance) and a lynch mob that Lincoln faces down may frighten little ones; the mob is shown as wrong and the law prevails. Drinking leads to the killing and a juror is played as a comic drunk, and Ann Rutledge's death is mournful.
Young Mr. Lincoln (1939)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- How did Lincoln stop the mob?
- Why wouldn't the mother tell which son did it?
- What made Lincoln a good lawyer?
- What did you learn about Lincoln as a young man?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 10+: a fight that ends in death and a bloody knife (at a distance); a lynch mob; several drunk characters.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
Young Mr. Lincoln Blu-ray
Blu-ray · January 9, 2018
Edition link coming soon.
Listing on Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.