“On The Basis Of Sex”– Movie Review

This week, I attended a New York Times advance screening of the new biographical drama about Ruth Bader Ginsberg, “On The Basis Of Sex”, starring Felicity Jones and Armie Hammer.

Synopsis

When a young lawyer must try a major case, will the visibility cement her career or cause it to be ruined?

Story

In the 1950’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jones) was one of only nine women who managed to earn a spot in Harvard Law School.  Despite facing a considerable amount of chauvinism, she persisted and was able to not only attend her own classes, but also, those of her husband Martin (Hammer) when he fell ill to testicular cancer.  Upon realizing that Martin may at some point relapse, Ruth left Harvard to return to New York City, where she completed her degree at Columbia University.  Despondent over the direction her career took when none of the top law firms hired her, she reluctantly took a teaching position. 

While teaching, Ruth learns that this gives her an advantage:  she can take on any case she desires.  If she had gone to work for a major law firm, they would likely assign her a case – one which she might have considerably less passion.  Soon, she becomes aware of a case of a man denied a tax deduction simply because of his gender.  Since Ruth’s greatest concern was to defend people who have been shown discrimination because of their gender, this was certainly something she felt was her bailiwick.  There was one problem, however:  this case was also focused on tax law.  As a result, she would clearly need her husband Martin, a tax lawyer, to assist her. 

Soon, Ruth gets some support when her case is backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is run by her long-time friend, Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux).  With the help of Mel, Martin and a support system of various mentors and like-minded attorneys, Ruth diligently prepares to argue her case before the 10 Circuit Court, where she must present before three judges.  Still relatively inexperienced, everyone wonders whether or not Ruth will be able to stand up to the pressure of a case which is gaining notoriety around the nation.  Can she show that this man is denied his tax deduction on the basis of sex or will she be laughed out of court?   

Review

Without a doubt, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an icon and a cultural heroine of the modern age – and you don’t necessarily have to be either a woman or a liberal in order to be stunned by the accomplishments in Mrs. Ginsburg’s personal and professional life.  Although “On The Basis Of Sex” has a powerful emotional impact with its ending, it is not able to elevate a film that is done in from the start – largely due to its casting.  How Jones and Hammer could remotely be considered the right actors to portray this legendary couple is enigmatic, to put it mildly.    

The screenplay, which was apparently written by Ginsburg’s nephew, does a decent job of showing how the ambition of this couple impacted their family life – likely something to which few people would have had such an authentic insight.  It falters in the sense of creating a mood that is realistic; all too often in scene after scene, it becomes an eye-rolling exercise in reductionism.  Ultimately, one gets the sense that despite the staggering accomplishments of this woman, we are watching something that is more accurately characterized as a hagiography, not a biography.   

Following the screening, there was an interview with the filmmakers.  Jones said that the key to understanding how RBG became who she is today was by understanding her background – specifically, the decisions she made throughout life and the societal forces which determined how she was raised.  She added that much of the story of this movie is actually that of the family and what they were able to achieve together – especially when it appeared as though the entire world was against them.    Director Mimi Leder said to her, the story is about how change happens – a constant pushing open the doors, but not in an angry way.  For the full interview, please refer to the video clip below.