On the Basis of Sex

This informative bio-pic focuses on Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s early years as a persevering law student and pioneering attorney. In 1956, when wide-eyed Ruth Bader (Felicity Jones) was married to Martin Ginsburg (Armie Hammer) and had a baby daughter, Ginsburg became one of only nine women in the Harvard Law School class of more than 500 men. 'What does it mean to be a Harvard man?' the Dean (Sam Waterston) rhetorically asks. Despite having graduated from Columbia Law School (tied for first in her class), she cannot get a job in a New York law firm. So she teaches at Rutgers--until she discovers a tantalizing 1972 sex discrimination case. A Colorado caregiver, Charles Moritz (Chris Mulkley), is denied a $296 tax deduction because he is male, and caregivers are assumed to be female. Discrimination against men? Yes, this is what propels Ginsburg through the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals and up to the Supreme Court. It’s impossible to chronicle Ginsburg’s rising legal career without acknowledging the devotion of her husband (also a lawyer), who was incredibly supportive, including doing the household chores, while she pursued her passion. Worshipfully written by Justice Ginsburg’s nephew Daniel Stiepleman, the film is somewhat formulaically directed by Mimi Leder, who adroitly casts Kathy Bates as activist attorney Dorothy Kenyon and Justin Theroux as Mel Wulf of the ACLU. And it concludes with a cameo of the real RBG walking up the steps of the Supreme Court building. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include 'A Supreme Team' making-of featurette (7 min.), and the behind-the-scenes segments 'Legacy of Justice' (3 min.) and 'Martin and Ruth: A Loving Partnership' (3 min.). Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is a bonus digital copy of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a solid bio-pic.] (S. Granger)