The Conspirator: A Look Back At History

While there have been numerous movies made about John Wilkes Booth and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, The Conspirator takes a different route.

Directed by Robert Redford, The Conspirator tackles the story of Mary Surratt, who owned the boarding house where Booth and others met and planned the attacks on the president, vice president and secretary of state.

Whether you're a history buff or not, you DO NOT want to miss The Conspirator. I found this movie riveting from start to finish and, by the time the credits rolled, I was left breathless.

Surratt (played to perfection by Robin Wright) was the lone woman charged in connection with Lincoln's assassination. She denies having any knowledge of the plot to kill Lincoln and - while director Redford says in his blog "that history does not know with any certainty whether Mary Surratt was guilty or not" - what interested him about Surratt was "her love for her son — her stubbornness, her feistiness, her sacrifice of herself."

Along with Wright, The Conspirator stars James McAvoy as Frederick Aiken, a 28-year-old Union war hero and newly-minted lawyer who is assigned to defend Surratt. Kevin Kline stars as Secretary Stanton, Johnny Simmons stars as John Surratt and Evan Rachel Wood stars as his sister, Anna Surratt.

For a detailed list of of the cast and crew and more information on The Conspirator, click here.

Terri Lee - Entertainment Reporter