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
