I just recently heard that Bill O’Reilly is publishing a story on the Lincoln assassination. In an interview from USA Today, O’Reilly hints at the filmic qualities of his new book:

O’Reilly says he’s also talking to “big hitters” about turning Killing Lincoln into a cable TV special. “It’s very cinematic. Action! Action!”

Who would he like to play Lincoln?

“I’d always thought Harrison Ford would make a great Lincoln — the brooding, the physicality.”

And Booth, the actor turned assassin?

“That sleazy bastard? There are so many sleazy bastards in Hollywood. It would be a big casting call.”

(Read the full text here.)

Now, I’ll make this pretty clear, I am a Harrison Ford apologist to the extreme – the man can do little wrong in my eyes, but I wonder – would he be a good Lincoln?

I guess this gets down to the meat and potatos of a question that I’ve been pondering for some time: what does it take to portray Abraham Lincoln successfully?

I’ll have to mull this over a bit more… but it does bring up an interesting line of inquiry.