The Supreme Court of the United States has been in the news a lot recently, and the stories aren’t good. As in, “we could be screwed for an entire generation” not good, and “I can’t look at the news anymore lest I spiral into madness” not good. You get the idea. Thankfully, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is still there, and she’s always got our backs. Even better, there’s been a lot of attention on her this year. Earlier this summer, Amy gushed about RBG, a documentary about Ginsburg’s life. This Christmas, we’re being gifted with a biopic, On the Basis of Sex, that will cover similar themes— her work, loving partnership with her husband Marty, and impact on the lives of American women. The first trailer dropped yesterday morning and it made my day.
Anachronistic use of music aside, Felicity Jones plays Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the earlier days of her career, when she’s a brilliant “ball buster” of a lawyer who fails to be taken seriously because men are the worst. She and her husband Marty (played by Armie Hammer), who knows how talented she is, team up with ACLU lawyer Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux) to argue a gender discrimination case in front of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
It should come as no surprise that I cried, there’s so much to love here.
“Protests are important, but changing the culture means nothing if the law doesn’t change.”
“You don’t get to tell me when to quit.”
“You’ve been ready for this your whole life, so go in there and let the judges see the Ruth Ginsburg I know.”
“The word woman does not appear even once in the U.S. Constitution.” “Nor does the word freedom…your honor.”
The studio is obviously making a play for awards season, but even more than that I’m looking forward to the pictures of Justice Ginsburg at the premiere (she also has a cameo appearance in the movie). I want to see and celebrate her as much as we possibly can. By the time this movie is released, the midterm elections will be over, and we’ll all feel a little bit better, or far, far worse about the state of our country. Either way, On the Basis of Sex will have us in tears.
