RBG, one of this year's many huge documentary hits, is just the first of two stories we'll get this year about legendary Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (The dramatized version, On the Basis of Sex, hits theaters near the end of the year.)
The doc looked at Ginsburg's years as a feminist and progressive icon, and of course her ascendance as a meme. But the film took on a different relevance as she's now one of the Court's few remaining liberal voices, and with her advanced age (she turned 85 this year) may not hold onto her seat for much longer, meaning Donald Trump could be naming her successor, in addition to Anthony Kennedy's.
The DVD and Blu-ray features deleted and extended scenes, as well as bonus interviews. The film will likely get a big push at awards season, not only in the documentary category, but also the original song category. Oscar nominee Diane Warren penned the theme song "I'll Fight," sung by Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson.
RBG will be released on August 28, but hits digital platforms on August 3.
About Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about.
I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague.
Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work.
In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo.
I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.
