Being Lincoln: Men with Hats (2008)

They are not "impersonators". They are Abraham Lincoln presenters. When they don the iconic ensemble - the hat, the whiskers, the full-length coat, sometimes even a strategically glued pencil eraser for the facial mole - most are answering a calling. "If you are going to put this man's coat on and if you are going to tell this man's story, it comes with a certain responsibility", says Dennis Boggs, a fifteen year veteran Lincoln Presenter, who helps John Mansfield, a rookie Lincoln, on his journey to become a Lincoln. Dennis and John are members of the Association of Lincoln Presenters (ALP), a national organization of living historians in 38 states. Most members of the ALP are hardcore presenters, some are even scholars. But not all Lincolns take their role so seriously. On weekend nights in Downtown Nashville, Tennessee, you can find Mike Cox turning heads, even in the bustling, tumultuous streets that make up music city's tourist district. Just as with all of the Lincoln presenters, people flock to this facsimile of Lincoln, who brings out strong emotions in those who see him. But not all of the responses are good. Modern day Lincolns have to deal with, as one presenter put it, "those who would still fight the civil war". Being Lincoln-Men With Hats is the story of what it means to "be a Lincoln" - what it means to the individuals that portray him, and what Lincoln's image means to the rest of us.