On the Basis of Sex

Name: On the Basis of Sex
Genre: Biography, Drama
Released: December 25, 2018
Duration: 120 min
Rating: 59
Cast: Angela Galuppo, Armie Hammer, Cailee Spaeny, Chris Mulkey, Dawn Ford

2018

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 51 Ratings

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6.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 51 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2018 | PG-13

Starring: Angela Galuppo, Armie Hammer, Cailee Spaeny, Chris Mulkey, Dawn Ford, Felicity Jones, Francis X. McCarthy, Gabrielle Graham, Gary Werntz, Jack Reynor, John Ralston, Justin Theroux, Kathy Bates, Michael Dickson, Ronald Guttman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sam Waterston, Stephanie Costa, Stephen Root

Summary: Young lawyer Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Felicity Jones) teams with her husband Marty to bring a groundbreaking case before the U.S. Court of Appeals and overturn a century of gender discrimination.

Director: Mimi Leder

Genre(s): Biography, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 120 min

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Awards & Rankings

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Mick LaSalle

Dec 22, 2018

A serious movie that slowly earns its emotion and enlists our involvement. Even before the finish, it’s goosebumps all around. Read full review

Yolanda Machado

Nov 9, 2018

It’s Jones who really shines. She effortlessly embodies Ruth Bader Ginsburg with such aplomb that when she locks her steely eyes with the camera, you can feel it in your bones that this woman is about to change the world. Read full review

Caroline Siede

Dec 19, 2018

It’s an impressive journey unimpressively retold, relying on overly familiar biopic tropes about the difficulty of being a woman in the man’s world of the 1950s. Read full review

Ty Burr

Dec 20, 2018

Watchable, illuminating, and ultimately unmemorable — inspiring without being inspired. Read full review

David Edelstein

Dec 23, 2018

The defense concedes that the Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex hits its marks with the subtlety of a legal brief. But that’s not fatal. Read full review

Justin Chang

Dec 23, 2018

It would be silly to expect this movie to achieve the cinematic equivalent of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s brilliance, but you can’t help wishing it had more to offer than righteous speeches and stirring glances, that it put a few more ideas in your head to go with that lump in your throat. Read full review

Dom Sinacola

Jan 3, 2019

We’re typically never trusted to accept the reality of an icon’s life for what it is rather than what media consultants want it to exemplify. What the film’s real failing amounts to is any lack of interest in Ginsburg’s true superpower: Her inhuman, sleepless drive to do the work. Read full review

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User Reviews

Deanomite

Jan 15, 2020

This was excellent, an excellent story about a brilliant, brave woman who has done as much for woman's equality as anybody ever. A real hero, if only everyone had this much courage.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

isaras

Jan 24, 2019

Great film with a fantastic cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux… all of them with wonderful performances. I love Felicity and Armie as de Ginsburg marriage. And the work of Mimi and the writing too. The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg deserves being known for everybody, not onlyGreat film with a fantastic cast: Felicity Jones, Armie Hammer, Justin Theroux… all of them with wonderful performances. I love Felicity and Armie as de Ginsburg marriage. And the work of Mimi and the writing too. The story of Ruth Bader Ginsburg deserves being known for everybody, not only women, besides especially for men. I give the film a 10.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Angelakatrin

Aug 4, 2019

A most watch! Based on real events. There were many woman activists that we have to thanks for, but this story is about a woman that tackled the 'behind the doors'.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Brent_Marchant

Jan 3, 2019

A somewhat formulaic but nevertheless inspiring biopic about the early days of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's career and her efforts to fight for the elimination of sex-based discrimination under the law. With fine, underrated performances by Felicity Jones and Kathy Bates, the film capably walksA somewhat formulaic but nevertheless inspiring biopic about the early days of Ruth Bader Ginsburg's career and her efforts to fight for the elimination of sex-based discrimination under the law. With fine, underrated performances by Felicity Jones and Kathy Bates, the film capably walks viewers through the complexities of the legal landscape without resorting to excessive legalese while simultaneously putting a human face on the central issues in question, both in the lives of the protagonist and those for whom she served as advocate. To be sure, the pacing sometimes gets bogged down, and the screenplay tends to unfold in a safe, tried-and-true, somewhat predictable manner. Nevertheless, the inspiration this offering affords and the ideas it champions are well worth the play they get here, something that should prove uplifting to those who seek fairness, equal opportunity and even-handedness in all of their endeavors.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Eaj6

Oct 8, 2019

Truly a revolutionary and interesting biopic. It portrayed Ruth Bader Ginsburg's life prior to becoming a Supreme Court Justice. Not only did it provide information on her life, but it also provided an inspirational message to many to stand up for your rights and beliefs.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

foxgrove

Mar 29, 2019

For a film that gets so passionately hot under the collar about change and equal rights, this is quite conventionally made. Felicity Jones does a good acting job, but I'm never convinced that she is anything like the real R B G. Entertaining it is, but a trailblazer it most certainly isn't!

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Mar 28, 2019

The relevance of its theme and the good performance of her lead actress will save it from oblivion, but on the other hand this is an historical drama completely made by the book and I say this because the whole narrative structure is built in a basic way and already seen countless timesThe relevance of its theme and the good performance of her lead actress will save it from oblivion, but on the other hand this is an historical drama completely made by the book and I say this because the whole narrative structure is built in a basic way and already seen countless times before, because once the main conflict is exposed even if you don't know anything about the real case, it's quite evident that you know how everything will end. And although many times it's said that the journey is better than the destination, in this case it's not so because the journey despite being built with respectable quality, never rises above the average.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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