Show & Tell: RBG
With most movies to which I send discussion invitations, I try to spend a little time giving you a sense of what the movie’s about and why you might want to see (and discuss) it.
With RBG (which we will be discussing on Tuesday evening), I think most of my work is already done.
RBG is a biography and celebration of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the 84-year-old Supreme Court Justice and one of the most powerful and interesting characters of our (or any other) time. The filmmakers—Betsy West and Julie Cohen—clearly love and revere Ginsburg and they have structured the film almost like a sports biography, with plenty of time for youthful pictures and triumphs and a host of tributes from admiring celebrities.
As one critic pointed out, West and Cohen have made a documentary love letter to Citizen Ruth, and they assume that we love RBG as much as they do.
And I’d have to say they’re right. In fact (Shameful Confession), while I usually wait to see movies that we’re discussing until we all watch it together, I couldn’t wait to see RBG. I went to see it last Wednesday.
But it was sold out!
It’s true that it’s playing in The Loft, which is a smaller room, but I don’t believe that sell-outs are a common occurrence there. The obvious lesson is that people are hungry for Justice Ginsburg’s story.
So, this notification is both an invitation and a warning. If you want to see RBG and take part in the discussion, either buy your tickets ahead of time or get there early! I’d hate for you to miss either the film or the discussion. (And if you do get shut out, remember that RBG will be playing Thursday, 5/24; Friday, 5/25; Saturday, 5/26; and next Tuesday, 5/29 as well. Good luck!)
As for future discussions at The Music Hall, we will be discussing Lean On Pete on May 29, Isle of Dogs on June 5, and The Endless on June 26. The rest of the summer is a mystery!
Today’s rancid political atmosphere makes the few available heroes in Washington, D.C. more valuable than ever, and Mrs. Justice Ginsburg is clearly in that class. I hope to see you there as we watch this celebration of her life of clear thinking, wit, and principled tenacity.
Trigger warning! I cannot guarantee that political opinions will be completely absent from the discussion that follows RBG. You have been warned.