The Reel Review
In a year packed with super hero movies, finally, a movie about a tiny 5’1″ woman who, for many, is the largest real life super hero of all – Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Most Americans know that Ginsburg, at 85, is currently the oldest and one of the most liberal Justices on the Court. What most don’t know is that the Supreme Court cases Ginsburg deftly won as an attorney many decades ago were groundbreaking in equal rights for women.
This well done biopic is chocked full of eye-opening audio transcripts from those historic court cases, as well as archival footage and interviews detailing Ginsburg’s life. Besides her penchant for not sleeping, we learn that Bubbe, as she’s called by her grandkids, adores the opera, has an impressive collection of robe collars (one which she wears during her fiery dissenting opinions), was blessed with an incredibly supportive husband, and enjoyed a poignant friendship with one of the most conservative voices on the Court, the late Justice Antonin Scalia.
It also has lots of laughs – in particular, Ginsburg’s gleeful reaction to seeing Kate McKinnon impersonate her on Saturday Night Live and the evolution of her more recent (and fitting) nickname, Notorious RBG – a pop culture moniker Ginsburg wears with pride. This movie is terrific – an inspiring, endearing and intimate story about one person’s monumental contributions to a nation she clearly loves.
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