Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided (2001) (3-Disc Set)

While speaking to Congress, President Abraham Lincoln once declared, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." PBS' fascinating documentary series ABRAHAM AND MARY LINCOLN: A HOUSE DIVIDED puts this theory into perspective by examining the home life of the 16th president and his first lady. While much is known about the Great Emancipator, little is understood about his marriage to Mary Todd, a woman of great mental frailty and first lady during one of the most tumultuous times in American history. This series traces the couple's enigmatic relationship, from the marriage of the backwoods Lincoln (voiced by David Morse) to the wealthy Todd (voiced by Holly Hunter); through his election to the presidency and the Civil War (when the nation's troubles were only part of the strain on their marriage--the Lincolns' son Willie died while they were in the White House); and finally to the assassination that left the widow an emotionally unstable recluse. Directed by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, this superb series provides an intimate portrait of two of the most storied figures in American history.