Review: RBG

​RBG values the legendary life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as she continues to stand strong, influencing future generations to come. 

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​The 'notorious' RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) finally gets her chance to let her voice be heard on the big screen. Though, the film may be preaching to the choir at times, you still have to admire her strength and empowerment from over the years. Co-produced by Storyville Films and CNN Films, RBG breaks down the legal legacy an unexpected pop culture icon of Justice Ginsburg. This documentary studies the unique personal journey of Justice Ginsburg, from her quiet warriorship in the lower courts, to her rise in our nation’s highest court of law. The documentaries' material is light, but full of passion. It's a documentary that will surely inspire many and should appeal to anyone with an open mind. Premiering earlier this year at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and then gaining widespread attention there afterwards, RBG’s voice shines brightly. No dissenting here. The doc is co-director by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, as they pay tribute to Ginsburg's work for equality.

The doc begins by traveling back to where Justice Ginsburg was born, Brooklyn, NY. She’s a first generation Jewish-American and during her college year’s she excels at Cornell University. Here, she meets her future life-long husband, Martin Ginsburg. Both of them would go on to become attorneys with Ruth specializing in the representation of sexual equality cases, while Martin went on to become a leading tax attorney working in New York. Ruth represents cases for both sexes experiencing inequality within culture and society regarding issues of sexual equality. Some of these cases involve Ruth representing discrimination cases against women in the armed services who were denied equal treatment in the armed forces, and others were successfully defending single parent male clients who were denied access to social security benefits. Many of these cases would go before the Supreme Court, where Ruth went head-to-head with the top male-privilege Justices.

​During the Carter administration, Ruth was successfully nominated for the appellate court. Next, former president, Bill Clinton, successfully nominated her for the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg has been at the Supreme Court for 25 years now. Justice Ginsburg’s views and votes on the Supreme Court have helped shape and mold our American democracy to a more progressive landscape. Now, that seems to be shaken in the Trump Era. With Justice Neil Gorsuch joining the team last year and now possibly Brett Kavanaugh this fall, Ginsburg has had to move her views further to the left. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement announcement last month was a shocking blow to every liberal, progressive, person of color, and LGBTQ family in our country. Justice Kennedy was an incredible swing vote for the court, sometimes siding with the left and others with the right. In 2015, Justice Kennedy was the deciding factor to legalizing same-sex marriage.

​We could now be seeing a Supreme Court more conservative than ever before, affecting minority communities and future generations to come. ​It’s going to be an anxious political showdown this Fall. Ginsburg, now 85, continues to stand strong in the face of opposition even within the far-left wing who wanted her out during the Obama administration. She responded no can do. Madam Ginsburg will stay at this reign until she ultimately no longer can. RBG is a spirited buoyant documentary, that’s worth your time. Full of heart and empowerment, in the end; you will surely concur here. I guarantee it. “Women will only have true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.” – Ruth Bader Ginsburg

RBG is rated PG (Parental Guidance). For some thematic elements and language.