Tag: feminism

THE GLORIAS – Review

Julianne Moore as Gloria Steinem and Bette Midler as Bella Abzug in THE GLORIAS. Courtesy of LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions

Three big names of the ’60s -’70s Second Wave feminism were Betty Friedan, author of “The Feminine Mystique,” Germaine Greer, author of “The Female Eunuch,” and Gloria Steinem, journalist, activist and co-founder of MS Magazine. While all were authors who helped launch that movement, it is Gloria Steinem, photogenic and with a journalist’s precision with words, who was a favorite of the media and has stuck in the public imagination. In THE GLORIAS, Germaine Greer isn’t mentioned and Betty Friedan only in passing, but that is not surprising given that this is a biopic of Gloria Steinem, based on her autobiography “My Life On The Road.”

In fact, this drama from director/writer/producer is Julie Taymor has a lot of references to roads. Taymor was the creative force behind the groundbreaking stage musical THE LION KING and visually-rich films such as FRIDA and TITUS. Here, Taymor offers an imaginative, entertaining, and informative dramatized look at feminist icon Steinem. Given the current political moment and importance of women of color in Second Wave feminism, THE GLORIAS is timely as well.

One should not take THE GLORIAS as the definitive film about feminism in this era, as this is very much told from Gloria Steinem’s point-of-view. Director Taymor is famous for her creative, colorful and visually inventive style, and THE GLORIAS fits right in with that. The drama jumps back and forth in time, from Steinem’s unusual childhood to her early days as a journalist to her years as a leader at the forefront of ’70s feminism. Four actresses portray Steinem, with Julianne Moore as the mature Steinem, Alicia Vikander as Steinem as a young woman, and two child actors, Lulu Wilson and Ryan Kiera Armstrong, playing Gloria as a tween and a younger child, respectively. Timothy Hutton plays Gloria’s charming, never-do-well, showman-like dad Leo Steinem and Enid Graham plays her mother Ruth, whose career as a writer was derailed too early by her hard life.

Periodically, Taymor has the different versions of Steinem in conversation with each other, reflecting on various life choices or turning points, reconsidering her decisions or her emotions at the time of those events. It is an intriguing and visually dynamic way to show the inner life of the film’s subject. These introspective moments take place while the Glorias are traveling, in cars, buses or planes – on her journey as it were. At times, Taymor has all four versions together, sometimes with just them on the bus or other vehicle, at other times with others taking the journey, physical or philosophically, with her.

Casting four actors to depict Steinem turned out to be an inspired choice. All the Glorias are portrayed with emotional power and skill by the cast, with each actor bringing their own age-appropriate flavor to create a well-rounded personal and professional portrait. Both Vikander and Moore capture Steinem’s familiar appearance – the long blonde-streaked hair, tinted aviator glasses and mini-skirts – and her mannerisms well, although it must be noted that Julianne Moore’s Steinem is positively uncanny, embodying her so well that when the real Gloria Steinem appears near the end of the film, it is a bit of a little jolt.

While Greer and Friedan aren’t on screen, other contemporary figures of the feminist movement are. Bette Midler gives one of the film’s best performances, as sassy politician Bella Abzug, but other performances are strong as well. Janelle Monae is excellent as activist Dorothy Pitman Hughes, and Lorraine Toussaint gives us a entertainingly bold Flo Kennedy. Smaller but pivotal roles are also well done, with Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller played affectingly by Kimberly Guerrero and a nice, near-cameo portrayal of Chicano labor organizer Dolores Huerta given by Monica Sanchez.

Taymor brings her magical powers of creative visual storytelling to this visually lush tale of Gloria Steinem’s usual childhood and remarkable, world-changing career. THE GLORIAS mixes Steinem’s personal and professional life with much charm. Taymor often bends time and blends different periods of Steinem’s life in beautifully creative scenes, to crafting a wonderfully entertaining, insightful and moving portrait of a life and a movement that changed the world for women.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM – Review

Toni Morrison in TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM, a Magnolia Pictures release. ©Timothy Greenfield-Sanders / Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

This biographical documentary has an advantage most documentaries about a literary giant lack: the living artist herself. And boy is that as a bonus. The charismatic, iconic Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison helps director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders tells her remarkable story in TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM and, better yet, Morrison offers insightful commentary on her own lauded, beloved novels.

Director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’ wonderful documentary TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM is a comprehensive look at a true American treasure, Toni Morrison. This intelligent and entertaining documentary covers the life, the work and the times of this giant of literature and of American culture. Morrison is certainly a worthy documentary subject:. Morrison is the author of such works as SULA, BELOVED, and THE BLUEST EYE, and recipient of a Nobel Prize, a Pulitzer, the American Book Award, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among other honors. Her works speak particularly to the black experience and women’s experience, while at the same time being universal.

The documentary not only spotlights Morrison’s work but puts it in the context of the social shifts of the 1960s and 1970s, and beyond. Timothy Greenfield-Sanders is actually a friend of the author, which helped the director coax the usually private Morrison to agree to this project. It also gives him special access and insights on her personal and professional life, all which gives this finely crafted, stirring film a great boost.

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM covers the author’s early life, her struggles as a divorced mother and an academic in a time when both women and blacks faced barriers and discrimination. It also follows her shift to publishing, and then her transition from editor to novelist.

Morrison speaks plainly, bluntly even, but with such personal charm and sharp humor, that the audience can’t help but fall under her spell. She offers insights on the unique neighborhood where she grew up and her family’s own history of standing up to racism, Morrison has some pointed things to say about early ’70s feminism and its relationship to black women, as well as offering praise for her colleagues at her small publishing house, and those later at the large publisher, Random House, that acquired it, the editors and others who encouraged her work as an emerging author in the way publishers once did.

Morrison was a true ground-breaker, not only in her own writing but in the way she opened the door to other black and women writers as an editor at Random House. This documentary is packed with information on her life and work, presented through archival footage and stills, interviews with notable figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Angela Davis, and commentary from numerous scholars and others, discussing the impact of her work.

Director Greenfield-Sanders crafts a strong, engrossing story but this documentary does greatly benefit from extensive interview footage of Morrison herself. This is particularly so when offering analysis of her writings, by critics or readers. How often have you read a novel that raised questions that you would like to ask the author? This documentary lets us hear the answers to some of these questions from the author directly. That is a rare treat but especially nice in this case as Morrison, a former teacher, knows exactly how to address these topics in the most thoughtful and thought-provoking manner.

Interviews with Toni Morrison are scattered throughout the film, as is archival footage of the author throughout her life. Morrison speaks about her work, her life, and her views on various topics. Hearing her commentary in her own voice gives this excellent film a singular insight into not only this author, but into a pivotal moment of American culture and history. It is a unique aspect that makes this documentary a must-see for everyone.

TONI MORRISON: THE PIECES I AM opens Friday, July 12, at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars