Movie Review: On the Basis of Sex
On the Basis of Sex is a movie about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s first court case as a lawyer. Ginsburg is now a Supreme Court justice who is widely beloved because of her work against gender discrimination. The movie is a fantastic window into RBG’s life before the Supreme Court.
The movie also covers the struggles she faced as a woman in a field that was largely dominated by men during the1970s. Ginsburg finds herself searching for a job with a law firm and instead becomes a professor at Rutgers University Law School. She teaches her younger students about laws discriminating on the basis of sex.
Throughout the movie, RBG is seen as a hardworking lawyer, as well as a wife and mother. It also shows the traditional gender role reversal in the Ginsburg household. Ruth’s husband, Marty, works as a lawyer as well and cooks and takes care of their two children. Together they take on a controversial tax case that could set a precedent that would allow Ginsburg to work for equal rights for women.
I truly enjoyed this movie because it showed many aspects of RBG’s life. They show her as a wife and mother, but she is also portrayed as a teacher and lawyer. The viewer can see Ginsburg’s success in all of these fields. It is wonderful to see a movie in which she truly has it all.
The movie also gives insight into the reality of gender roles in the United States in the 1970s. Many people believed that women shouldn’t be allowed certain rights because it would go against what they believed were traditional values. These ideas became great obstacles for Ginsburg. In the end she succeeded in her goal of women having a more active role in society and having more rights.
I very much enjoyed watching this movie and I highly recommend it. If you are interested in modern American history and women’s rights, this movie is perfect for you. On the Basis of Sex presents the reality of laws discriminating based on gender and what it was like for Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the early days of her career as a lawyer.
