On the Basis of Sex
Short description
Set in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s, On the Basis of Sex follows Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a brilliant law graduate who finds that her gender closes more doors than her qualifications open. Though she finishes near the top of her class at Harvard, no firm will hire her, and she settles for a teaching post while her husband Martin builds his own career. When Martin brings her a tax case involving a man denied a deduction because of his sex, Ruth sees a way to challenge the legal assumptions that treat men and women differently, and she takes the fight into the courts.
The film is directed by Mimi Leder, whose earlier features include The Peacemaker, Deep Impact, Pay It Forward and Thick as Thieves. Daniel Stiepleman wrote the screenplay, and Felicity Jones plays Ruth opposite Armie Hammer as Martin. Justin Theroux, Sam Waterston, Kathy Bates and Cailee Spaeny appear in supporting roles. Released in December 2018, it cost about 20 million dollars and returned roughly 39 million worldwide. It holds a 7.1 rating on IMDb from around 42,000 votes and a 7.3 on TMDB from a smaller base, while its critics' score of 6.4 from 268 reviews sits below both audience measures, suggesting viewers were warmer toward it than reviewers.
What's left behind the scenes
- When meeting Felicity Jones, Ruth Bader Ginsburg doubted the British actress could portray a Brooklyn accent. In preparation for the role, Jones and a dialect coach listened to hours of recordings of Ginsburg's performances at the Supreme Court, noting the nuances of her speech and phonetic peculiarities. After watching the film, Ginsburg praised Jones' work.
- In the scene where Ruth Bader Ginsburg first enters the Harvard Law School auditorium, where she became one of nine women in a class of around 500 people, the famous Harvard anthem “Ten Thousand Men of Harvard” plays.
- When signing on to the project, Natalie Portman insisted that the director be a woman. This led to Mimi Leder being invited to direct.
- While the film was in development, for about four years, the lead role was secured for Natalie Portman, but the actress ultimately left the project.
- During her first meeting with Felicity Jones, Ruth Bader Ginsburg expressed doubt: “This English actress is magnificent, but will she be able to portray a Brooklyn accent?” In preparing for the role, Jones and her dialect coach listened for long periods to hours of recordings of Ginsburg's speeches at the Supreme Court, noting the nuances of her speech and phonetic features. After watching the film, Ginsburg admitted: “Jones speaks the Queen’s English, but in the film she managed to sound very much like me, a girl born and raised in Brooklyn. Jones won this case.”
- While the project was in development, the role of Ruth was assigned to Natalie Portman for at least 4 years. Ultimately, the actress left the project, and Felicity Jones was cast instead.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
