RBG

Movie (Documentary), 2018

Premise - Documentary of the life and career (so far) of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to ever be appointed to the Supreme Court, the first liberal woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court, and the only woman on the Supreme Court for a significant period of time. As a woman now in her 80s, Ruth still serves on the Supreme Court with no plans to retire, having already led a legendary career in the world of women's rights.


Review - After the disgrace that was Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the Supreme Court, I had to watch something to make me feel ever so slightly better. Our Shared Shelf, as a book club, does not recommend films, yet Emma Watson recommended this herself on her twitter for Feminist Filmmaker Friday, as it plays importantly her platform. I therefore included this under "Our Shared Shelf" even though it wasn't an official pick. There is also a book, Notorious RBG, that would complement this documentary nicely.

I'm not big on documentaries. For some reason, I typically prefer a visual format. However, if I'm going to learn something strictly historical and non-fiction, I would prefer to read a book. The only exception is during emotionally manipulative documentaries, which I am a sucker for. But though this documentary had its emotional points, I think it served more for educational purposes on the historical importance of her career and her persona.

As a result, I watched this happily, yet half-heartedly. I wanted all the information, but I didn't spend all of my energy actually watching the screen. I think I spent a lot of the time checking my phone while listening to the information through my earbuds. I still learned a lot about Ruth, as prior to this film I knew nothing about her apart from her very existence. I found her to be inspiring, intelligent, adorable, admirable, and everything I would want in a role model and Supreme Court Justice. I would love to learn more about her. I'm just not the a huge proponent of the documentary format. (51/100)

Quote - "I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.”

What to watch for - All the scenes of her working out are just so CUTE. Yet she's probably, somehow, more in shape than I am. She's this tiny little body but she's STRONG.

If you liked this documentary, I recommend My Life on the Road!

Directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures