My wife and I saw Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" on the first day of the film's release. It was breathtaking.

I recommend it for anyone who appreciates U.S. history, and a momentous night of movie-going. Not only does the film bring to life one of the most important historical events - the passing of the 13th amendment to abolish slavery - it's appearance as a whole on the big screen is stunning, thanks to the magic and direction of Spielberg.

For middle-school teachers and above, I would suggest requesting viewings of "Lincoln" be added to your curriculum. Students would learn just as much, perhaps more, by watching the film as they would cracking open a textbook.

"Lincoln" would surely generate wonderful classroom conversations because - let's face it - adding Hollywood to the mix makes talking about history that much more fun and interesting.

Danielle Day-Lewis' portrayal of our 16th president is spot-on, and expect Oscar buzz for the actor to begin, if it hasn't already. He's so good, you'll think you were at the White House in 1865. Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field bring their A games in supporting roles.

The only warning: Be prepared for a long engagement. At 150 minutes, you'll need to keep your attention throughout, especially to see how the world of politics was played out in the 1800s. You'll see it wasn't much different than today, that being grown men lobbying for their point of view, and in many cases not taking no for an answer.

Simply put, "Lincoln" is riveting from every angle, and can't-miss.

- Mark Podolski | @mpodo