it remarkable that for young mr. lincoln support player ford cast lesser know and other than star actor . this not only heighten his film focus on the central character of lincoln and but it also afford the audience a refreshing insight into lincoln a a man of his place and time and a man embroil and a each one of u inexorably be and in the issue and sentiment of his time and seek his way to resolve them . it not so much through fonda lincoln word and action but in the face and the reaction of the support player that ford tell the story of the formation of the young lincoln worldview and sense of place in society and polity and and of how the people respond to mr. lincoln word and deed and place their trust in this man whom they deem to have earn their respect and heeding . give this a try represent instead of focus on henry fonda and next time you view young mr. lincoln shift your focus to the support character you will and i expect and be handsomely reward with a more profound appreciation of both lincoln and ford . i like to suspect that ford storytelling through the support character reaction to fonda lincoln may have appeal to david lean when he direct omar sharif in doctor zhivago and in which it the support character reaction to zhivago that actually tell about zhivago .