Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become a popular progressive icon, inspiring a Kate McKinnon impression on “Saturday Night Live” as well as the admiring nickname “Notorious RBG.” Now she’s the subject of the new biographical documentary “RBG,” which opens on May 4. Magnolia Pictures has released a new trailer for the documentary just in time for National Women’s Day on March 8. Watch it above.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks,” says Ginsburg at the opening of the trailer. She’s quoting 19th century abolitionist and suffragist Sarah Moore Grimke, which highlights the influence of feminism on Ginsburg’s life and consequently her own influence on American life as a lawyer and a judge. The film explores her life and career, how she “became a lawyer when women were not wanted by the legal profession” and “changed the way the world is for American women.”
Could it be a contender for Best Documentary Feature at the 2019 Oscars? Other films about high-profile political figures have won in recent years, including “The Fog of War” (2003) about former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and “An Inconvenient Truth” (2006) featuring former Vice President Al Gore, though neither of those films was quite like “RBG” as evidenced by the trailer. It’s directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen. Both women have previously competed at the News and Documentary Emmys, West for the PBS series “Makers: Women Who Make America” and Cohen for her work on “Dateline NBC.”
The film may especially resonate at a time of increased attention on sexism in Hollywood and across all industries. The biography of a 20th century feminist pioneer seems especially relevant in the #MeToo era.
