On the Basis of Sex: 2018

I didn't know much about Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Sure, I knew she is a justice on the United States Supreme Court. And yes, I knew that a documentary came out in 2018 called RBG about her life (and I've been meaning to see it). But beyond that, I didn't know how she started her career in law or what she did to gain the skills needed to serve on the Supreme Court. So I went into On the Basis of Sex with limited background knowledge and quickly learned that wasn't going to be an issue because the film doesn't assume that viewers know about Ginsberg and her work.

Starting at the beginning of Ginsberg's career, as a first year law student at Harvard, the film explores how being a woman is constantly seen as negative. Ginsberg entered law school in 1956, a time when women were expected to stay at home and have children. Instead, Ginsberg seeks her own career and faces skepticism at best and outright anger at worst from her professors (or at least that's how it's portrayed in the film). The film progresses from her days in law school to her job at Rutgers where she is a law professor. It's not the job she wanted, but it was the only job she could find. Instead of fighting for women's rights in court, Ginsberg teaches students about how law and gender intersect. Not quite the job she had in mind.

Watching Ginsberg's early career and how she takes on a case (with the support of the ACLU) is inspiring for sure, but it left me with the realization that I didn't know just how bad it was for women prior to 1970. Sure, women could have jobs, but legally, they had no protection. For women, it was like being in the eye of a hurricane; things were calm but at any moment devastation would begin. I realized that not only have I benefited from the work women like Ginsberg did in the 1970s, I didn't know just how terrible life was for women before the laws changed. My life would be completely different today if not for her work. And yes, there were men who helped as well. But Ginsberg's tenacity is why so much changed. She didn't give up.

Ultimately, On the Basis of Sex is an inspirational biopic. I felt empowered afterwards and a whole lot smarter. But is this film one for the Academy to recognize? Probably not. And I'm okay with that. Sometimes it's just awesome to have a film that speaks to your soul.