This is a good year to be a fan of Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The 85-year-old Ginsburg was the subject of frontrunning documentary RBG, which has only enhanced her reputation as modern-day legal superhero and feminist icon. How can you not love a woman who breaks three of her ribs and practically the next day she’s back at work helping to save our judicial system from serious threat. And now her story is coming to the screen once again this year in On the Basis of Sex, which is already earning awards buzz for star Felicity Jones. If she wins, let’s hope Ginsburg takes the stage with her.
Directed by Mimi Leder, the film shows the sexism and other obstacles Ginsburg had to face as a young legal scholar at Harvard Law School. Setting the stage for a career of fighting for equal rights, Ginsburg teams with her husband to argue the landmark Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue before the U.S. Court of Appeals, in hopes of overturning over a century of sex discrimination.
Armie Hammer plays Ginsburg’s supportive husband, Martin Ginsburg, with Justin Theroux, Cailee Spaeny, Sam Waterston, Kathy Bates, Jack Reynor, Stephen Root, and the Notorious RBG herself co-starring.
On the Basis of Sex opens December 25th, and is one of the last major prestige dramas we’re likely to see this awards season. Hopefully the wait will be worth it.
