All the spoilers, all the time – even with documentaries. You have been warned.
“And may it please the court…”
The proper way to watch this documentary is on the morning after you watch On The Basis Of Sex in the theater, in the presence of your three like-minded (and) closest friends. Gobsmacked and amazed, I tell you, while receiving the one-two punch of movie and documentary. It makes me feel the need to be more impactful in my life. It makes me happy to have been surrounded by such uniquely strong women as we watched both.
My Thoughts While Watching:
This documentary is breathtaking. Not in the way of cinematography but in the scope of Ginsburg’s life: what she endured, what she fought against, what she won for all of us. I am just blown away by the thought of it all. I want to watch both the movie and the documentary again. I plan to convince my daughter to watch it with me. All women should watch both.
“I ask no favor for my sex, all I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” It really is that simple, the need for a fair shake. Why is it that all these years later we are still waiting for that fair shake?
When others describe her, what do they call her? “Icon”, “Super Hero”, “the Cat’s Meow”. But she is so much more. She is a mother, a wife, a loyal friend, a fighter… I could go on and on. This documentary not only traces Ginsburg’s life, it also interviews the people who played a part along the way. None more prominent than her husband, Martin Ginsburg. This is not only a history lesson, it is a love story. Oh, to be loved like Ruth was loved by Martin. More than loved, supported in her endeavors even at the sake of his own. When they talked about how he would come to chambers to lure her home after (over) a full day’s work. “First boy I ever knew that cared I had a brain.” Simply beautiful.
The two most important lessons her mother taught her: Be a lady. Be independent. Boy, did she take those lessons to heart!
I want to find more reading on the infamous Dean’s Dinner. It boils my blood.
I LOVE that she loves the opera and even appeared in one.
When asked how she responded, in the face of adversity, she responded “Never in anger”, just as her mother taught her.
And that beautiful lace she wears at the collar of her robe? She noted that originally, those robes were made for men to wear ties and look proper. It did not work as well for women. She took to something more ladylike. Those collars of hers have become a nonverbal statement of sorts.
I desperately love her, as do so many others in the United States. She has become the picture of all things “woman”.
Have you seen either this docu or the movie? What are your thoughts?
Trailer:
Directors: Julie Cohen, Betsy West
IMDB Storyline: “At the age of 84, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But without a definitive Ginsburg biography, the unique personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior’s rise to the nation’s highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans – until now. RBG is a revelatory documentary exploring Ginsburg’s exceptional life and career from Betsy West and Julie Cohen, and co-produced by Storyville Films and CNN Films.”
Release Date: 14 Sep 2018 / Runtime: 98 Minutes
One piece of interesting iMDB trivia: Directors Julie Cohen and Betsy West had both previously worked on projects involving Ginsburg, and in 2015 decided to make a documentary focusing solely on her. In 2016, the duo followed Ginsburg around to various meetings and speeches, including in Chicago and Washington, D.C., for a total of 20 hours, and conducted the face-to-face interview in 2017.
Interviews:
Thoughts and Ponderances 