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On the Basis of Sex is nowhere near as groundbreaking as its real-life subject, but her extraordinary life makes a solid case for itself as an inspirational, well-acted biopic. Read critic reviews
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Rent On the Basis of Sex on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, or buy it on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu.
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On the Basis of Sex videos
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - John Addams Forgot The Ladies
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Professor Ruth Bader Ginsburg
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Jane Inspires Ruth Bader Ginsburg
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Judges Challenge Ruth Bader Ginsberg
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Ruth Bader Ginsburg Montage
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - We'll See You in Court
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Messing Up The Mock Trial
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Taking The Place of a Man
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Telling Off Catcallers
On the Basis of Sex: Official Clip - Ruth Bader Ginsburg Wins the Case
On the Basis of Sex: Trailer 2
On the Basis of Sex: International Trailer 1
On the Basis of Sex: Trailer 1
On the Basis of Sex Photos
Movie Info
Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a struggling attorney and new mother who faces adversity and numerous obstacles in her fight for equal rights. When Ruth takes on a groundbreaking tax case with her husband, attorney Martin Ginsburg, she knows it could change the direction of her career and the way the courts view gender discrimination.
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Rating: PG-13 (Suggestive Content|Some Language)
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Genre: Biography, History, Drama
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Original Language: English
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Director: Mimi Leder
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Producer: Robert W. Cort, Jonathan King
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Writer: Daniel Stiepleman
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Rerelease Date (Theaters):
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $24.7M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Focus Features
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Production Co: Participant Media, Alibaba Pictures Group
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Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
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Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for On the Basis of Sex
Critic Reviews for On the Basis of Sex
Audience Reviews for On the Basis of Sex
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While this film may be well intentioned, it is formulaic and simplified to a fault, with a sense of self-importance that makes it sound cliched even when telling something that is true, so you may as well just skip it and go for the much superior RBG documentary instead.
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Given the high-profile treatment of a popular documentary and an awards-bait caliber feature, you'd be forgiven for thinking that people either thought justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg was due for recognition or was about to die. On the Basis of Sex takes more than a few nods from 2012's Lincoln, showcasing its subject trying to pass key reforms/legislation as a means of better insight into his or her lasting legacy. To that end the film is a success. It's an intelligent legal procedural taking time to find judicial footholds, craft compelling arguments, and the back-and-forth challenges of overturning hundreds of years of precedent that viewed women as essentially lesser. If you enjoy rhetorical debates on legal minutia, this might be the movie for you. However, if you wanted to get a better understanding of Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) the person, then you're out of luck. She's more or less the vessel for social justice and the film keeps her more as a lionized symbol for change than as a person. Her frustrations, such as being denied the same opportunities as men, are meant to serve as a reminder of the frustrations of the many. There are a handful of scenes with dismissive, doddering middle-aged men that feel too stagy, and yet I'm sure that these same curt comments and patronizing behaviors were a daily affair (and still are). Jones doesn't feel like she has a full grasp on the character beyond as symbol (her Brooklyn accent is a bit slippery as well). You also get to process the reality of Ginsburg as a sexual being as she initiates PG-13 sex with her supportive husband (Armie Hammer). It's kind of like thinking about your parents having sex. On the Basis of Sex feels a bit, ironically enough, too old-fashioned. It's got dramatic courtroom showdowns, including an eleventh hour speech, and all the old Oscar bait tropes we'd expect from this sort of movie. It plays to every expectation of its audience. Beyond learning about the legal arguments, there's nothing new or insightful here. Stick with the RBG documentary and hear the same stories from the real deal herself. Nate's Grade: B-
nathan z Super Reviewer
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