On the Basis of Sex

cool movie

This movie was very well done. Good acting and a good story. Please ignore the obviously biased trolls. This is a very good movie.

The education and early career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first woman to sit on the highest court in America, is captured in this film. It stars Felicity Jones as the young woman who attended Harvard Law School with her husband (Armie Hammer) and went on to become one of the preeminent legal minds of her era. The film centers on how Ginsburg was initially instrumental and ultimately essential in an appellate case that helped pave the way for gender discrimination in federal law being eradicated. Along with her husband, she worked on the appeal with the ACLU, heralded by Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux), a liberal with complicated principles. Kathy Bates makes a nice turn as a famous, hardened civil rights litigator who failed in some earlier cases. Sam Waterston is a welcome presence as the outwardly progressive but inwardly parochial Erwin Griswold, Dean of Harvard Law during Ginsburg's years as a student. Jones shines in the role of the young Ginsburg, a dedicated, steadfast attorney who was undaunted by the entrenched views on gender in academia, the workplace and ultimately in the courts. She spends most of the film grappling with these challenges but all the while never letting go of her core principles and dedication to the law. Although this film occasionally lurches into Oscar bait territory, it makes for a good portrayal of a woman who became a true pioneer in the history of gender equality and a good starting point to get to know Justice Ginsburg from where she started. Recommended.

The same people praising a Walk The Line or other drama-geographic movies about mens have decided that RGB only deserves the documentary treatment but no her own larger than life movie about her critical fight for woman rights and equality. Forget about those haters: this movie like Walk the Line is a great mix of emotion, humor and reminder of how social justice is something still that need us to fight for it. Go enjoy this great optimistic movie perfect for the start of a new year.

The people that are saying the movie was boring probably aren't interested in court cases as that was a big part of the movie. After all RGB is an attorney! The movie is about how she was one of the first that fought for gender equality & won. The entire theater was applauding. If you are a fan, than you definitely should go see it.... but bring some tissue - the very end of the movie will give you the feels.

A well acted, inspiring story introducing RBG as a student and young lawyer in her first of many cases which have changed the landscape of US law to increase gender equality.

I didn't know much about Ruth Bader Ginsburg before I saw this movie and honestly this movie is pretty preachy.It's all very tasteful and subdued and sanitized and PC, but lacking in bite, heft, and grit. Felicity Jones is good, but her character is presented as more saint than human. It seems like something a high school class could watch to learn a bit more about her life, but it failed to engage me fully. I fell asleep in all honesty at one point.

Disclaimer: I saw this movie not knowing anything about the main character's real-life persona except that she's a Supreme Court Justice, and that she's dealing with health issues in the late stages of her life. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie! I was drawn in and enjoyed the acting very much. The subject matter and characters felt very real, and to think it was even remotely based on a true story made this movie a home-run for me.

The film "On the Basis of Sex" is one pretty good auto bio type picture of one legal hero Ruth Bader Ginsburg(Felicity Jones) as she's a flame and light who fought for equality and equal rights for women. The film does good to trace Ruth's humble start of going thru law school and raising a family all while trying to challenge and change the system as in her era it was a male dominated world and females took a backseat. I for one enjoyed the film for it's historical background as I enjoy pictures of history and bio type stories of political and well known figures. So give the film a see if you want to see how a woman fought for change with passion and be educated about the past of a legal legend.

"On the Basis of Sex" is a bio-pic about the early years in Ruth Bader Ginsburg's career. As the movie opens, she is a first year student at Harvard Law. When her husband Martin, himself a second year student there, becomes gravely ill, she attends both her own and Martin's classes, and of course caring for him. A couple of years later, Martin is hired by a prominent New York law firm, and Ruth transfers to Columbia Law to finish her law degree. She graduates top of the class, yet not a single law firm in New York offers her a job... At this point we are less than 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out. Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from director Mimi Leder, best known for 2000's "Pay It Forward". Here she brings to the big screen the early years in Ruth Bader Ginsburg's career. Let be very clear: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is an amazingly sharp lawyer who endured sex discrimination at every opportunity, to the point that she decided to do something about. AND THEN DID IT. Flash forward: June, 2018 marked the 25th anniversary of her stint on the US Supreme Court. In other words, this is such a remarkable woman. Sadly, "On the Basis of Sex" doesn't do justice to this outstanding woman and lawyer. In fact, "On the Basis of Sex' is done strictly by-the-numbers, without any dramatic tension and with an utter predictability that makes this almost into a snooze fest. (Some reviewers here apparently do not/cannot differentiate between this remarkable woman and what a good movie actually is or should be...) As it happens, in 2018 a documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg called "RBG" was released. "RBG" puts "On the Basis of Sex" to shame, frankly, and I am 99% certain that "RBG" will pick up an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary in the near future (and I am equally certain that "On the Basis of Sex" will not get any Oscar nominations). Playing the role of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Felicity Jones, bless her heart, tries the best she can with the material that she is given, but in the end she cannot overcome the movie's fatal flaw, namely a weak script. To be clear: Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a shining light and role model for so many, and very deservedly so. But that doesn't make "On the Basis of Sex" a good movie... Bottom line: if you haven't seen either of "RBG" and "On the Basis of Sex", by all means chose "RBG". If you've seen "RBG" already, don't bother with "On the Basis of Sex". "On the Basis of Sex" has seen a very limited release so far, but will expand nationally this coming weekend. It currently has been playing in one single theater here in Cincinnati. The Tuesday evening screening where I saw this at was attended okay but not great (about 10-12 people). I had good hopes for this movie, but when I compare this to "RBG", there is no doubt which one is (by far) the better movie. Of course I encourage you to check out "On the Basis of Sex", be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion. And don't forget about "RBG"! *UPDATE* 1/22/19 As I predicted, "RBG" received an Oscar nomination (for Best Documentary). "On the Basis of Sex" did not get any Oscar nominations. (While "RBG" is a strong contender, in the end I see the Oscar for Best Documentary going to "Free Solo".)