It's important to take stock of films like this when they come around, because they endure, and like much of Steven Spielberg's work, this unconventional biopic is an instant classic. I can see this playing in classrooms and households for years and years to come, and that it's so refined, so well-wrought and so precisely written, particularly on a dialogue level, makes that a happy thing indeed. It's Spielberg's best work since "A.I." featuring an incredible ensemble performance highlighted by delights like David Strathairn, James Spader, Tommy Lee Jones and Sally Field, but spearheaded by a towering portrayal by Daniel Day-Lewis.