"RBG" (2018 release; 95 min.) is a documentary about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. As the movie opens, we see Ginsburg working out with her personal trainer. "I am 84 and everyone wants to take their picture with me", she comments. We then shift to her 1993 Supreme Court Senate confirmation hearings, where she opens with talking of her Brooklyn roots and upbringing, at which point the movie goes back to the 1930s. At this point we are less than 10 min, into the movie, and you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from documentarians Julie COhen and Betsy West. Here they give us an "all access" portrait of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a/k/a "Notorious RBG". As I am a lawyer myself, I am of course quite aware of her, but I must admit I knew very little of her background, and how it made the person that she is today. Just 2 things that stuck with me after the movie: Ginsberg is best known as the champion of gender equality. Did you know that she was one of only 9 female students (out of a class of about 500) at Harvard Law? and that she made law review? And that upon graduating (in 1959), not a single law firm in New York, NOT ONE, offered her a job? The other striking thing is the amazing relationship between Ruth (nicknamed "Kiki" by her childhood friends) and her husband Martin, which is featured prominently in the documentary. Oh, and there is one more thing to remember: the deep friendship between (liberal) RGB and (conservative) Supreme Court justice Antonia Scalia. In these uncertain times, it is important to remember that we don't have to be indignant, disrespectful and worse to people who have a different opinion than our own. In fact, strictly on policy issues, I probably disagree with RBG more than I agree, but that doesn't mean I can't have but the greatest respect for Ginsberg the person. What an icon she is, and the day that she retires from the Supreme Court will be a sad day for this country.
"RBG" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival to immediate acclaim. The movie opened this weekend on 2 screens at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The early Saturday evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely, and I thin that with the positive word-of-mouth this movie is sure to generate that this may have long legs at the art-house theater circuit, IF you are in the mood for an excellent documentary about a remarkable women, I'd readily suggest you check out "RBG", be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray.
