My wife and I, both professionals about 15 years behind the real RBG, found this movie both fascinating and painful--almost as painful as the negative reviews that object to the Subject on the basis not of sex, but of politics. Too bad the knuckle-draggers can't get past their own biases to enjoy this very good and intellectually engaging movie. And yes, we did find it suspenceful. My wife, too got directed to the typing pool after four years of college and three of grad school, and I hope I was half as supportive as Marty. We thoroughly enjoyed this reminder that even today the arc of history doesn't bend itself, and that the only way to achieve your goals, especially (gasp) equality, is to keep pushing. And we thought the acting was first-rate, and loved the physical mismatch of the tiny Jones and towering Hammer.
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theRetiree11 January 2019
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lavatch18 April 2019In the bonus track of the DVD of "On the Basis of Sex," it is revealed that the nephew of Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the screenplay for this film biography. One of the strengths of the film is the very intelligent script that finds a way to make potentially dry legal cases and legal jargon intelligible and dramatic.
It was mentioned as well in the extras track that the film sought to depict "one of the greatest love stories of all time." While this statement may have been an exaggeration based on all the time that Marty and Ruth Ginsburg devoted to their careers rather than the enterprise of love, the film was successful in blending biography with an influential legal case that argued discrimination on the basis of sex to be unconstitutional.
Armie Hammer performs role of the litigator husband Marty, who is assigned the role traditionally given to long-suffering housewives. Marty cares for the children while Ruth spends long days teaching at Rutgers, where her classes are filled with young, intelligent women with a token male student. In the kitchen, Marty wields a knife like a surgeon as he dutifully chops vegetables while Ruth prepares to take revenge on her sexist male professors from law school.
The film is worth viewing as a civics lesson. As a liberal attorney and later Supreme Court Justice, Ginsburg is a perfect illustration of how the powerful courts engage in "legislating from the bench," as opposed to strict interpretation of the Constitution. In Ginsburg's argument before Denver's Tenth Circuit Court, the result was a change related to tax law that had ramifications for universal revision of gender equality in the marketplace.
The phenomenon of the court flexing its muscles demonstrates how our separation of powers work, especially when Congress is foot-dragging in failing to change the law to suit the times, as apparent in this film in gender discrimination. The epigram of "Reason is the soul of law" appeared in the courtroom of the Denver Circuit Court, demonstrating that a persuasive legal argument may cause the powerful judges to rethink the application of individual laws.
The film was crisply directed primarily on location in Montreal. The costumes were effective in evoking the timeframe of the film primarily from the 1950s through the '70s. Felicity Jones was outstanding in the role of Ginsburg. Although her Brooklyn accent wasn't always consistent, she nonetheless captured the poise and determination of Ruth Bader "Kiki" Ginsburg. The relationship between Kiki and her feisty daughter Jane was especially well performed.
From start to finish, Jones delivers a moving performance of the little fireball Kiki Ginsburg. First in her class at Harvard and Columbia law schools, Ginsburg is a demonstration of how one person can truly make a difference in the world. This is a film to be watched and enjoyed by the entire family. -
The film starts in 1956 with RBG (Felicity Jones) entering Harvard Law school as one of 9 women. Unable to get a job practicing law in NYC, she takes a job teaching at Rutgers. The production then jumps to 1970 where it focuses on Moritz vs Commissioner, a case used to end gender discrimination.
The film showed us a human RBG with fears and flaws. It also shows the overwhelming support she received from her family, which helped make her the success she had become.
Guide: 1 F-word. -
mscull947 March 2019From the impressive script to the tone this is a movie worth seeing.
A lot of movies I see these days fall short of the message they are trying to get across but this one definitely did not.
Ruth and her family done something incredible not just for America but the world. While this won't win any awards it's a history lesson in law which manages to make it exciting with some great performances. -
algeson_j17 January 2021The only criticism I can give to this movie really, is that I would have liked more. I would have loved if this was a mini series so we could see more of her life and accomplishments. In other words a brilliant and important film.
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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.
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parons-5043220 January 2019Hubby and I are Canadian seniors who just saw this movie and we both loved it. I was fighting back tears at the end and experienced a range of emotions throughout. RBG's indomitable spirit, hers and Marty's commitment to each other, and when she truly and passionately finds her voice - we found it truly inspirational! RBG is obviously a remarkable legal mind and the USA is lucky to have someone of her quality on their Supreme Court.
One thing though: I don't understand the reviews that slam the movie as being "political" all we saw was a lawyer sincerely trying to ensure everyone received the same treatment under the law.
Long may she serve! -
PotassiumMan26 December 2018The 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. -
cc007719 February 2021I just can't put this movie in words, but I can proudly say it's one of the best films I've ever watched. I may have some biased opinions, since RBG is one of my role models that I have been looking up towards, making this movie so much more powerful, and motivational to watch. I enjoyed every second of this film, and I would definitely want to recommend this to others as well.
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Zac_La_Porte29 November 2021This is another movie capturing of history that stands and battles against gender discrimination, but it's captured with a very weak system. Anyway, On the Basis of Sex: here come some inspirational role models that tackle sexism and fight for gender equality! It's a well-acted and finely designed portrayal of the true story, despite that it's nowhere near as brilliant in the documentary, RBG.
The performances are as astonishing as they are required to be in social issue dramas and it's pretty engaging. However, there's a huge let down throughout the film. The fact that it's reasonably engaging, but isn't really that interesting or compelling really sends its strength to ruins.
On the Basis of Sex is easily likeable. The issues and topics are covered in a fair context. But the history and the plot is all captured so poorly. It even extends to the point where audiences will likely be drifting off as they try to remain focused on the deeply slow, occasionally boring execution. The brilliant acting deserves a much better depiction, but most of all, the amazing Ruth Bader Ginsburg deserves a much better portrayal of her actions.
If you liked this review, check out the full review and other reviews at aussieboyreviews. -
ljcesq26 December 2018A documentary is a documentary and a movie inspired by real events is just that. Each stand alone. RBG is an outstanding documentary to which On the Basis of Sex should not be compared. Yes, the movie is old fashioned reminding one of the classic movies of the 40s. So what. The subject matter is still timely even more so in the climate we are now living in...unfortunately there are probably many who want to go back to the "great" pre-Ginsburg days.
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My2centsDave15 April 2019While RBG is definitely an inspirational historical figure I was interested in knowing more about, this story about some of the more important parts of her life was about as interesting to watch as, well, a tax trial. Good acting throughout, and the last 15 minutes almost makes the slow first half worth the wait. An inspirational history lesson for some, but some will doze off before the payoff at the end.
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JohnDeSando10 January 2019"Women have been losing the same argument for 100 years!" Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Felicity Jones)
Concerning sexual equality, the above quote best expresses the feisty young lawyer, RBG, and her early fight through the courts to overturn a tax code provision that discriminated against men. Thanks to her husband, Marty (Armie Hammer), who found a discriminatory clause in the code, she was able to fight on behalf of her client and therefore women in their ambition to be equal.
On the Basis of Sex is an entertaining and informative docudrama not only about her early days at Harvard Law and as a mother and professor, but also the daunting task women had of competing with men for professional jobs that were denied them uniformly and openly. To see RBG denied legal job after legal job is almost to feel the anxiety this top-of-her-class graduate endured in finally taking a job as a professor by default.
Her eventual success in the tax case came not in a Hollywood glamorous moment but slowly after grinding research and disappointments in the court room. Anyone in law school should see this carefully crafted drama for the truths it tells about the hard work it was for this diminutive battler. Helping Marty defeat cancer was just another battle the future Supreme Court Justice would fight and eventually win but not easily.
On the Basis of Sex is an old-fashioned courtroom drama about a judicial titan whose life is still inspiring as she approaches its end. "He's not going to take me seriously," she says in an early encounter with a judge. We know how that turns out for liberalism's "Obi Wan Kenobi." -
Cineanalyst21 September 2020Although I finally watched "On the Basis of Sex" to honor the recent passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and although it surely deals with some important legal precedents, I'm not going to pretend it's not a standard, even ho-hum, biopic and legal drama. It barely rises above an extended episode of "Law & Order" and even includes Sam Waterston in the cast. Generally, Hollywood is just bad an rendering anything academic or intellectual on screen, and so, as here, they resort to merely saying over and over again that Ginsburg is smart and to complimenting her writing of briefs. They say it because they don't know how to show it. When we finally get to the courtroom part, they also resort to a trope of a eureka moment where she turns the case around after some fictitious flubbing of it by the Ginsburgs--while, of course, the level of the musical score is heightened for some manufactured inspiration.
Such movies are better at relationship and family dynamics, though. Indeed, the screenplay was written by Ginsburg's nephew. When characters aren't pigeonholed as sexist baddies or egalitarian heroes, the picture does well enough. I don't know whether Ginsburg's daughter was as instrumental in her thinking as suggested here, but as drama of the real world reflecting the legal battle it's effective, as is the family's marriage of equals. Although their involvement in the case depicted here is reportedly fictional, the inclusion of Dorothy Kenyon and Pauli Murray is a nice thought in acknowledging Ginsburg's predecessors. Felicity Jones may be miscast, but she and the rest of the cast are fine enough, I suppose, and the focus on Ginsburg's skirts and appearance otherwise in male-dominated settings works well. As most seem to agree, however, the documentary "RBG" (2018) does a better job examining this central figure in the courtroom part of the women's liberation movement and who experienced renewed status as a cultural icon in her later years. -
lucas_mrz15 March 2021Most bad critics about this movie (which led me to postpone it too long) are based on a confusion. This is not a biopic about R.B.G. This is a movie about her early years in law school and her first case. It's meant to show the kind of woman she was and her struggle for equality. That's it. If you want a bio, go watch a documentary, or even better, go read a book
Now, I don't know much about RGB (I'm not from the U.S.) so I can't speak to the historical accuracy of the movie.But from an entertainment point of view, I quite liked it. Felicity Jones delivers a good performance (and I'm not much of a fan of her), as does the rest of the cast. I didn't find anything "terrible" about the script either.
I would totally recommend it. It may not be a complete biography, but it draws attention to RGB, and it will probably lead more than one to search for more about her. -
imdb-5-mbrna11 January 2019Disclaimer: 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. -
boblipton21 July 2021Felicity Jones stars as Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this movie about how she came to argue a case in tax law and upturn two hundred years of Federal law and American culture about sexual stereotypes. Another reviewer says the movie is not political. I disagree. It is all political, from the opening scenes at Harvard Law, when the nine women in class are asked to justify their presence in place of nine similarly situated men, through the end, when she asks for justice. Times, she argues, have changed, and the law must change to reflect that. That change in attitudes may seem revolutionary, natural and proper in our society -- although there are still those who would deny it -- but the changes and arguments that led to those changes were purely political.
Director Mimi Leder directs this as a personal odyssey, and offers us characters living in the moment, from Armie Hammer cooking for his family to Justin Theroux and the ACLU lawyer who fights Mrs. Ginsburg over strategy and tactics. Central, of course, is Miss Jones as Mrs. Ginsburg. She is excellent, speaking in a muted Brooklyn accent that reminds me of my mother -- and which Mrs. Ginsburg did not use in her public appearances. It's hard to make history gripping, since we know how it came out. The movie succeeds because it offers us the inner turmoil of the people involved. -
prdm-5543613 January 2019The 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.
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Movie_Muse_Reviews21 December 2018Ruth Bader Ginsburg's catapulting from venerated Supreme Court Justice to cultural icon and patron saint of liberalism has unsurprisingly led to the release of two films about her in 2018, the documentary "RBG" and now the feature film "On the Basis of Sex." Both films mirror the public's fascination with the now-85-year-old and offer evidence that RBG warrants the obsessive adoration, but "On the Basis of Sex" feeds into the legend.
The film begins with Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) and her husband, Marty (Armie Hammer), in their newlywed law school days in which Ruth was one of nine women in her Harvard Law class of nearly 500, establishing context for the sex-based discrimination that she would fight in her career and the equal rights crusader she'd become. Yet Daniel Stiepleman's script incidentally positions the film as a career-spanning biopic this way, when in fact most of the film takes place close to 15 years later.
That's a surprise more than a flaw, as many of the film's best moments come out of a deep intellectual dive into the case of Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue and what Ruth, Marty and the ACLU's Mel Wulf (Justin Theroux) believed they had to say and do to convince three white male appellate judges to change the course of history. That's fascinating, but it's definitely not the advertised story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and how she became a Supreme Court Justice.
When the film's not awash in legalese, it's trying to portray Ruth in a way that lives up to the "hype." There are lots of "ooh" and "ahh" moments as a character says something really sexist and Ruth has the perfect response, a device that kills it in a crowded theater but plays more into the myth of Ginsburg than the humanity. Jones, an outstanding actor, is left with the responsibility of trying to ground this prophetic character with a script that's lacking subtlety. Fights with her teenage daughter, Jane (Cailee Spaeny), for example, happen instantly to blatantly serve the purpose of the story, or Jane behaves in this perfectly feminist way that convinces her mother to solider on, punctuated by the camera holding on Jones so she can convey a moment of epiphany. It's the stuff of lesser biopics to be sure.
Nevertheless, "On the Basis of Sex" conveys the key details of Ruth's story and the social importance of her work and Moritz case. (It also can't be given too hard a time for taking liberties; Stiepelman is Ginsburg's nephew and she reviewed his script for accuracy.) In particular, the film captures the importance of Ruth and Marty's relationship. Even though Hammer is far too dreamy to play a tax lawyer, the film is clear yet not over-the-top in conveying the equality of their partnership and the support they provided to each other. Jones and Hammer are terrific actors, but director Mimi Leder deserves some credit for facilitating their chemistry the right way.
The film also succeeds in communicating the scope of sex-based discrimination in the U.S. as recently as the early '70s and the amount of cases that Ruth examined as director of the ACLU's Women's Right Project. The Moritz case was the first of a series of strategic moves to slowly change the legal precedents in sex discrimination cases, and the seriousness of changing minds and ultimately engrained beliefs about gender is not lost on the film and factors into much of the conflict as Ruth, Mary and Mel strategize how to frame their appeal.
Buried within their hero's crusade is an unheralded performance from character actor Chris Mulkey as Charles Moritz, the bachelor denied tax breaks to take care of his sick, dependent mother because as a man the law did not consider him a caregiver. Every so often during the verbally superfluous court scene, Leder will peak back at Mulkey, whose eyes remind us that what matters here is not about when a man or woman should or shouldn't be allowed to do, but what a human should be entitled to to take care of another human who can't take care of themselves.
"On the Basis of Sex" needs more graceful moments like this to complement its big picture, high stakes, "history in the making" focus. But while it somewhat settles for raising up the legend of RBG (again), it deserves credit for shining a strong spotlight on what it took to tip the scales of equal rights for women closer to justice and the woman who -- in supporting partnership with her husband -- dared to make the first push.
~Steven C
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MikeChm15 January 2019This movie was very well done. Good acting and a good story. Please ignore the obviously biased trolls. This is a very good movie.
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gbkimberley13 October 2020Interesting and well made but, like many true story's about the life of real people it lacks any real drama or excitement and tends to drag in places. As an insight into the life and times of the quite remarkable Ruth Bader Ginsburg though, it works very well and is worth viewing just for that. Best watched on a lazy Sunday afternoon with tea and biscuits in my humble opinion. 6.5/10
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hooma81418 December 2020On the Basis of Sex is another classic biopic movie. It tells the story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the injustices at the time prevalent in law against genders. I found the characters to be quite likeable and there was good tension in the story. Weirdly there is hardly any soundtrack in the movie which does at times leave it feeling a bit dull. But it has a great finish that makes it worth it. I'm not sure how accurate they were able to stay to the original story but its a good watch regardless.
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david-meldrum30 December 2021Conventional biopic about part of the life of a woman who consciously and deliberately overturned convention and expectation. Felicity Jones is good in the lead role, and there's fine support - it's just that the whole thing perhaps deserves something more and a little different.
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"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".)