(4 / 5)
The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her struggles for equal rights and what she had to overcome in order to become a U.S. Supreme Court Justice.
“On the Basis of Sex,” a biopic “inspired by true events” about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg constitutes a moving, well-acted film. Coming on the heels of the documentary “RBG,” one gets the impression that filmmakers are racing against some kind of clock before Ginsburg retires. Given her recent fall resulting in broken ribs at age 85, the retrospectives may indeed be prescient.
Interestingly, the film opens with a classic study for first-year Harvard Law School students, entitled Hawkins v. McGee. This case first showed up in cinema at the beginning of “The Paper Chase,” in which Academy Award-winner John Houseman famously outlines the facts of the case after berating Timothy Bottoms for not reading it in advance of class.
Houseman, as Professor Kingsfield, intones that Hawkins versus McGee is a case in contract law, the subject of study at hand. George Hawkins burned his hand on an electric wire, at which point, a doctor, Edward McGee, anxious to experiment in skin grafting offered his services. McGee boldly guaranteed to restore the hand one-hundred percent. The procedure required McGee to graft skin from the unfortunate boy’s chest onto the burned hand. Sadly, the operation not only failed to produce a healthy hand but actually resulted in a burned hand now covered with dense, matted hair.
The Harvard law professor in “On the Basis of Sex,” played by Stephen Root, similarly provides students with an opportunity to recite the facts of the case. This gives our heroine a chance to shine by providing a crisper summary than a male counterpart.
In the course of the film’s events, Felicity Jones offers a compelling and appealing Ruth Ginsburg that audiences will rally around without hesitation. More to the point, whatever the dramatic license taken by the filmmakers, the overall thrust of the narrative rings true.
As the movie’s title implies, Ginsburg tirelessly crusades against gender inequality. However, the nuances prove interesting because of the way Ginsburg employed a strategic approach. Instead of taking on the whole of a hundred years of case law that upheld gender discrimination, she argued individual cases to establish a new series of contravening precedents.
Felicity Jones in On the Basis of Sex (2018).
Although Ginsburg argued and won numerous cases, the film focuses on a decision from the Tenth Circuit Federal Court in Denver. In this delightful scene, the back and forth between Ginsburg and the three male judges demonstrate that complex dialog can entertain as well.
Armie Hammer is Marty Ginsburg, Ruth’s devoted and understanding husband. Hammer, as in “Call Me by Your Name,” once again turns in an affecting and assured performance. If there is such a thing as a perfect husband, Hammer’s Ginsburg seems to be just that.
Kathy Bates remains in fine form as always in this outing, portraying Dorothy Kenyon, a firebrand New York lawyer and political activist. Stephen Root, whose indelible presence in movies such as “No Country for Old Men,” turns in another strong supporting role as well.
Sam Waterston as Erwin Griswold, dean of the Harvard Law School expertly captures the condescension displayed toward women in the years following World War II well into the 1960s. At a dinner, he asks the only six women admitted that year to explain why they chose to take a seat at Harvard that could otherwise have gone to a man.
No doubt, the fathers of so many daughters who enjoy a greater range of opportunities – a direct result of Ginsburg’s pioneering work – owe her a great debt. Her combination of persistence, spunk, and searing intellect serve as a powerful role model. Directed by the accomplished Mimi Leder, the film moves along with confidence and verve. “On the Basis of Sex” is a page-turner of a movie that will enthrall audiences of all ages.
In theaters Tuesday, December 25th
