History Film / TheConspirator

* BasedOnATrueStory: Very accurate in its depiction of events. The primary departure is in the character of Aiken. The real Aiken was a Democratic Party activist that had strong Southern sympathies. He also had a co-counsel named John W. Clampitt who helped him at the trial after Johnson stepped aside. Additionally, there is little evidence that Stanton strong-armed the commission into returning a death sentence against Surratt.

* ClearMyName: Mary Surratt.
* DisregardThatStatement

* HopeSpot: A writ of habeas corpus! Yay!

* PunchClockVillain: Holt, the prosecutor.

* WellIntentionedExtremist: Secretary Stanton.

''The Conspirator'' is a 2011 film directed by Creator/RobertRedford about the assassination of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln and the trial of the conspirators. Creator/RobinWright stars as Mary Surratt, whose degree of culpability has remained controversial ever since 1865. Creator/JamesMcAvoy portrays Frederick Aiken, the lawyer assigned to defend her.

* {{Frameup}}[=/=]FramingTheGuiltyParty: Aiken believes that witnesses are fabricating their testimony and the government is coercing people into testifying against Surratt. But the film doesn't really take a position on whether or not Surratt actually knew of the murder plot on April 14.

* HowDidYouKnowIDidnt Aiken learns information from his questioning in the first days of the case by accident.

* PetTheDog: Stanton refusing to leave Lincoln's bedside after the assassination, clutching the dying President's hand. However monstrous Stanton's actions later on, it's almost understandable given how shaken he is.

* ShownTheirWork: Many things are amazingly accurate. If you look closely, you'll notice that Mary Suratt's noose had less knots in it than the other conspirators. This was, in real-life, because the man tying the nooses expected her sentence to be commuted to life in prison at the last minute, and didn't want to waste his time making a proper noose that would never be used.

* BasedOnATrueStory: Very accurate in its depiction of events. The primary departure is in the character of Aiken. The real Aiken was 55 years old at the time of the trial and a Democratic Party activist that had strong Southern sympathies. He also had a co-counsel named John W. Clampitt who helped him at the trial after Johnson stepped aside. Additionally, there is little evidence that Stanton strong-armed the commission into returning a death sentence against Surratt.

''The Conspirator'' is a 2011 film directed by Creator/RobertRedford about the assassination of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln and the trial of the conspirators. Creator/RobinWright stars as Mary Surratt, whose degree of culpability has remained controversial ever since 1865.

* {{Frameup}} / FramingTheGuiltyParty: Aiken believes that witnesses are fabricating their testimony and the government is coercing people into testifying against Surratt. But the film doesn't really take a position on whether or not Surratt actually knew of the murder plot on April 14.

''The Conspirator'' is a 2011 film directed by Creator/RobertRedford about the assassination of UsefulNotes/AbrahamLincoln and the trial of the conspirators. RobinWright stars as Mary Surratt, whose degree of culpability has remained controversial ever since 1865.

* DawsonCasting: 42-year-old (at the time) Creator/NormanReedus played 21-year-old Lewis Payne

* FakeAmerican: Scotsman James [=McAvoy=] as Frederick Aiken and Englishman Tom Wilkinson as Reverdy Johnson.
** Also, Irishman Colm Meaney as David Hunter.
** Yorkshireman Toby Kebbell as John Wilkes Booth.

* UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar

** Although, to be fair, he did state in an interview that he was as historically accurate as possible and that he added a scene that made Stanton look more sympathetic precisely because he knew he would be accused of this.

** One can presume that she broke up with him, perhaps.

* TheAmericanCivilWar

''The Conspirator'' is a 2011 film directed by Creator/RobertRedford about the assassination of AbrahamLincoln and the trial of the conspirators. RobinWright stars as Mary Surratt, whose degree of culpability has remained controversial ever since 1865.

* DawsonCasting: 42-year-old (at the time) Norman Reedus played 21-year-old Lewis Payne

''The Conspirator'' is a 2011 film directed by RobertRedford about the assassination of AbrahamLincoln and the trial of the conspirators. RobinWright stars as Mary Surratt, whose degree of culpability has remained controversial ever since 1865.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Practically every third character in this movie is a famous face.
** [[Film/ThePrincessBride Princess Buttercup]] plays Mary Surratt.
** [[KingoftheHill Bud Strickland]] plays John Lloyd.
** [[WildWildWest Artemus Gordon]] plays Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.
** [[TheLiontheWitchandtheWardrobe Mr. Tumnus]] plays Frederick Aiken.
** [[TheGreenHornet The Green Hornet's dad]] plays Reverdy Johnson.
** [[AlvinandtheChipmunks Alvin the Chipmunk]] plays Nicolas Baker.
** [[ClashoftheTitans Poseiden]] plays Joseph Holt.
** [[TrueBlood Sheriff Andy Bellefleur]] plays Major Smith.
** [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Miles O'Brien]] plays David Hunter.
** [[Series/TheWalkingDead Daryl Dixon]] plays Lewis Payne.

* ShownTheirWork: Many things are amazingly accurate. If you look closely, you'll notice that Mary Surat's noose had less knots in it than the other conspirators. This was, in real-life, because the man tying the nooses expected her sentence to be commuted to life in prison at the last minute, and didn't want to waste his time making a proper noose that would never be used.

** [[KingoftheHill Hank Hill's boss]] plays John Lloyd.

** [[StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Miles O'Brien]] plays David Hunter.