Latest news with #LillyLedbetter
Epoch Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
‘Lilly': ‘Erin Brockovitch' Lite
PG-13 | 1h 33m | Biopic | 2025 In 'Lilly,' writer-director Rachel Feldman tells the story of trailblazer Lilly Ledbetter (Patricia Clarkson), a pioneer from humble beginnings who took her employer, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., to court on the basis of gendered pay discrimination. While the influential legacy of Lilly Ledbetter (whose contributions toward equal pay fight resulted in the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009) deserves celebration, this earnest and heavy-handed biopic is more focused on its message than on Lilly. Sadly, her legacy doesn't receive the polished and sophisticated biopic treatment it deserves. Unequal Pay Lilly spent two decades as an Alabama tire factory supervisor before discovering in 1999 the extent of her unequal pay compared to her male colleagues. After filing a lawsuit for discrimination, she became an underdog crusader for the issue, learning difficult lessons along the way about corporate manipulation of the justice system, and the influence of political lobbyists. Lilly Ledbetter (Patricia Clarkson) at work in the tire factory in "Lilly." Blue Harbor Entertainment Co-writer-director Rachel Feldman's biopic feels more a rushed docudrama. In it, everything is spelled out for the audience by both the characters within the story and one expert who exists outside of it—the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It's likely Ginsburg's writing on Ledbetter's case resulted in Congress passing new legislation to address inequality of pay. The late judge was obviously an expert on the case, an impassioned and wise advocate for gender equality, and a fine storyteller, but making her the narrator immediately makes one wonder if the filmmakers wouldn't have rather made a biopic about Ginsburg and not Lilly. Related Stories 12/23/2020 11/29/2020 Throughout, a few scenes communicate Lilly's personal life. There's her relationship with her husband, Charles (John Benjamin Hickey), who at first resents his wife's decision to start working to supplement their meager income, but who eventually becomes her constant advocate over the years. Also, there's her strained relationship with her wayward son (Will Pullen). Lilly loves to dance, that is, until a work 'accident' severely injures her leg. Clarkson ('The Station Agent') displays Lilly's feisty tenacity but is ultimately forgettable in this tonally confusing narrative. Lilly remains little more than a representation of the legal fight and activism that happened around her. There must have been much more to the real Ledbetter than this movie portrays, but it's ultimately sabotaged by the intrusive, edited archival material and curious stylistic choices. Although well-intentioned, the film overall lacks subtlety and surprise. Promotional poster for "Lilly." Blue Harbor Entertainment 'Lilly' Director: Rachel Feldman Starring: Patricia Clarkson, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, John Benjamin Hickey, Will Pullen MPAA rating: PG-13 Running Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes Release Date: May 9, 2025 Rating: 2 1/2 st ars out of 5 Would you like to see other kinds of arts and culture articles? Please email us your story ideas or feedback at
Hamilton Spectator
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Patricia Clarkson on playing her icon Lilly Ledbetter and the political moment greeting the movie
NEW YORK (AP) — The film 'Lilly,' a biopic about the equal pay icon Lilly Ledbetter, lands in theaters at a difficult time for her biggest political and civil rights champions. Many are gone or out of power, their hopes of building on Ledbetter's legacy interrupted by a more fundamental fight over President Donald Trump's shake-up of civil rights institutions . It's difficult not to flashforward to the present as the most famous of those supporters appear in interspersed documentary footage: the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, who signed the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act , which strengthened the right of workers to sue for pay discrimination. Less well-known is Jocelyn Samuels, played as a key character by Deirdre Lovejoy. Back then, Samuels was an executive at the National Women's Law Center, guiding Ledbetter through the halls of Congress as they lobbied for the law. Currently, Samuels is one of two Democratic commissioners fired by Trump from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an unprecedented power play she is fighting in a lawsuit . Ledbetter died in October at the age of 86. The following month, Trump's election all but dashed Democratic hopes for passage any time soon of the more comprehensive Paycheck Fairness Act , which Ledbetter championed and would, among other measures, strengthen the ability of the EEOC to investigate pay discrimination. Patricia Clarkson, who stars as Ledbetter in 'Lilly,' doesn't shy away from the politics of the film, directed by Rachel Feldman. The Academy Award-nominee shared the red carpet with Clinton , who made a surprise appearance at the film's May 7 premier in New York City. She often recalls how her own mother, the late former Louisiana state legislator Jackie Clarkson , cried for joy when learning her daughter would play Ledbetter. In an interview with The Associated Press, Clarkson said the politics are a salient backdrop for what people should remember most: The resilience of a woman, who for most of her life, was an unknown working mother until an anonymous note tipped her off that her male co-workers were getting paid thousands of dollars more for the same job, and she decided to fight back. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: What did you do to prepare for the role? I understand you never met Lilly Ledbetter and it that it was an intentional choice. A: I imprint very easily with people and so I was afraid if I met Lilly, I would try to imitate her, play her. I realized that I owed her the very best of me as an actress, as a woman and a person. And the way to do that is to bring the best of you and to bring the best of yourself emotionally and physically and intellectually. And you can't do that if you are living with such an image. And Lilly is a very powerful image in my life. And so I had to kind of just bring her back to an ordinary life. Q: Did you did you dig into her writings or her speeches? A: I looked at a certain amount ... But I wanted her emotional life ever-present ... That's what's important because change is hard and people suffer to fight injustice .... I didn't care about mannerisms. I just wanted her emotional strife and struggle to be present. Q: It must have been hard to anticipate how different the political moment would be when the movie was released. A: I literally and figuratively had dreams of being on a press tour with Lilly. It was going to be the highlight of my life to be with this remarkable human being ... but then she passed. But maybe right now, is the greatest time for this film because it's reminding people that there can be accomplishments. Q: Is it a more difficult political climate for a film like this? A: I know the Democrats embraced her but let me tell you something: Lilly was not really a deeply political person, and that's something I held strong to ... And yeah, she spoke at the (Democratic National Convention) but she would have spoken at the (Republican National Convention) if she has been asked. Equal pay is equal pay. Whether you are North, South, East, West, whether you were red, blue or purple. She didn't care. Q: You also recently starred in 'She Said,' the 2022 film about the New York Times' uncovering of the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein . What are the parallels with 'Lilly'? A: It's all of a piece. It's a mindset of certain men we have had to work with, either in Hollywood or in the workforce ... Hollywood's come a long way because I've been in it since 1985, and I've spoken about this. We used to meet male producers and directors in hotel rooms and actors in hotel rooms, and we all thought that was fine. We were paid less throughout. I was paid less throughout the whole beginning of my career. Q: If there's one thing that you want the audience to take away about Lilly, what would it be? A: She got back up, and you should be a proud American when you watch her. _______ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Patricia Clarkson on playing her icon Lilly Ledbetter and the political moment greeting the movie
NEW YORK (AP) — The film 'Lilly,' a biopic about the equal pay icon Lilly Ledbetter, lands in theaters at a difficult time for her biggest political and civil rights champions. Many are gone or out of power, their hopes of building on Ledbetter's legacy interrupted by a more fundamental fight over President Donald Trump's shake-up of civil rights institutions. It's difficult not to flashforward to the present as the most famous of those supporters appear in interspersed documentary footage: the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, who signed the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which strengthened the right of workers to sue for pay discrimination. Less well-known is Jocelyn Samuels, played as a key character by Deirdre Lovejoy. Back then, Samuels was an executive at the National Women's Law Center, guiding Ledbetter through the halls of Congress as they lobbied for the law. Currently, Samuels is one of two Democratic commissioners fired by Trump from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an unprecedented power play she is fighting in a lawsuit. Ledbetter died in October at the age of 86. The following month, Trump's election all but dashed Democratic hopes for passage any time soon of the more comprehensive Paycheck Fairness Act, which Ledbetter championed and would, among other measures, strengthen the ability of the EEOC to investigate pay discrimination. Patricia Clarkson, who stars as Ledbetter in 'Lilly,' doesn't shy away from the politics of the film, directed by Rachel Feldman. The Academy Award-nominee shared the red carpet with Clinton, who made a surprise appearance at the film's May 7 premier in New York City. She often recalls how her own mother, the late former Louisiana state legislator Jackie Clarkson, cried for joy when learning her daughter would play Ledbetter. In an interview with The Associated Press, Clarkson said the politics are a salient backdrop for what people should remember most: The resilience of a woman, who for most of her life, was an unknown working mother until an anonymous note tipped her off that her male co-workers were getting paid thousands of dollars more for the same job, and she decided to fight back. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: What did you do to prepare for the role? I understand you never met Lilly Ledbetter and it that it was an intentional choice. A: I imprint very easily with people and so I was afraid if I met Lilly, I would try to imitate her, play her. I realized that I owed her the very best of me as an actress, as a woman and a person. And the way to do that is to bring the best of you and to bring the best of yourself emotionally and physically and intellectually. And you can't do that if you are living with such an image. And Lilly is a very powerful image in my life. And so I had to kind of just bring her back to an ordinary life. Q: Did you did you dig into her writings or her speeches? A: I looked at a certain amount ... But I wanted her emotional life ever-present ... That's what's important because change is hard and people suffer to fight injustice .... I didn't care about mannerisms. I just wanted her emotional strife and struggle to be present. Q: It must have been hard to anticipate how different the political moment would be when the movie was released. A: I literally and figuratively had dreams of being on a press tour with Lilly. It was going to be the highlight of my life to be with this remarkable human being ... but then she passed. But maybe right now, is the greatest time for this film because it's reminding people that there can be accomplishments. Q: Is it a more difficult political climate for a film like this? A: I know the Democrats embraced her but let me tell you something: Lilly was not really a deeply political person, and that's something I held strong to ... And yeah, she spoke at the (Democratic National Convention) but she would have spoken at the (Republican National Convention) if she has been asked. Equal pay is equal pay. Whether you are North, South, East, West, whether you were red, blue or purple. She didn't care. Q: You also recently starred in 'She Said,' the 2022 film about the New York Times' uncovering of the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. What are the parallels with 'Lilly'? A: It's all of a piece. It's a mindset of certain men we have had to work with, either in Hollywood or in the workforce ... Hollywood's come a long way because I've been in it since 1985, and I've spoken about this. We used to meet male producers and directors in hotel rooms and actors in hotel rooms, and we all thought that was fine. We were paid less throughout. I was paid less throughout the whole beginning of my career. Q: If there's one thing that you want the audience to take away about Lilly, what would it be? A: She got back up, and you should be a proud American when you watch her. _______ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at Alexandra Olson, The Associated Press
Toronto Star
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Patricia Clarkson on playing her icon Lilly Ledbetter and the political moment greeting the movie
NEW YORK (AP) — The film 'Lilly,' a biopic about the equal pay icon Lilly Ledbetter, lands in theaters at a difficult time for her biggest political and civil rights champions. Most are gone or out of power, their hopes of building on Ledbetter's legacy interrupted by a more fundamental fight over President Donald Trump's shake-up of civil rights institutions. It's difficult not to flashforward to the present as the most famous of those supporters appear in interspersed documentary footage: the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former first lady Michelle Obama and former President Barack Obama, who signed the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which strengthened the right of workers to sue for pay discrimination. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Less well-known is Jocelyn Samuels, played as a key character by Deirdre Lovejoy. Back then, Samuels was an executive at the National Women's Law Center, guiding Ledbetter through the halls of Congress as they lobbied for the law. Currently, Samuels is one of two Democratic commissioners fired by Trump from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an unprecedented power play she is fighting in a lawsuit. Ledbetter died in October at the age of 86. The following month, Trump's election all but dashed Democratic hopes for passage any time soon of the more comprehensive Paycheck Fairness Act, which Ledbetter championed and would, among other measures, strengthen the ability of the EEOC to investigate pay discrimination. Patricia Clarkson, who stars as Ledbetter in 'Lilly,' doesn't shy away from the politics of the film, directed by Rachel Feldman. The Academy Award-nominee shared the red carpet with Clinton, who made a surprise appearance at the film's May 7 premier in New York City. She often recalls how her own mother, the late former Louisiana state legislator Jackie Clarkson, cried for joy when learning her daughter would play Ledbetter. In an interview with The Associated Press, Clarkson said the politics are a salient backdrop for what people should remember most: a woman who for most of her life was an unknown working mother until an anonymous note tipped her off that her male co-workers were getting paid thousands of dollars more for the same job, and she decided to fight back. The conversation has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: What did you do to prepare for the role? I understand you never met Lilly Ledbetter and it that it was an intentional choice. A: I imprint very easily with people and so I was afraid if I met Lilly, I would try to imitate her, play her. I realized that I owed her the very best of me as an actress, as a woman and a person. And the way to do that is to bring the best of you and to bring the best of yourself emotionally and physically and intellectually. And you can't do that if you are living with such an image. And Lilly is a very powerful image in my life. And so I had to kind of just bring her back to an ordinary life. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Q: Did you did you dig into her writings or her speeches? A: I looked at a certain amount ... But I wanted her emotional life ever-present ... That's what's important because change is hard and people suffer to fight injustice .... I didn't care about mannerisms. I just wanted her emotional strife and struggle to be present. Q: It must have been hard to anticipate how different the political moment would be when the movie was released. A: I literally and figuratively had dreams of being on a press tour with Lilly. It was going to be the highlight of my life to be with this remarkable human being ... but then she passed. But maybe right now, is the greatest time for this film because it's reminding people that there can be accomplishments. Q: Is it a more difficult political climate for a film like this? A: I know the Democrats embraced her but let me tell you something: Lilly was not really a deeply political person, and that's something I held strong to ... And yeah, she spoke at the (Democratic National Convention) but she would have spoken at the (Republican National Convention) if she has been asked. Equal pay is equal pay. Whether you are North, South, East, West, whether you were red, blue or purple. She didn't care. Q: You also recently starred in 'She Said,' the 2022 film about the New York Times' uncovering of the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. What are the parallels with 'Lilly'? A: It's all of a piece. It's a mindset of certain men we have had to work with, either in Hollywood or in the workforce ... Hollywood's come a long way because I've been in it since 1985, and I've spoken about this. We used to meet male producers and directors in hotel rooms and actors in hotel rooms, and we all thought that was fine. We were paid less throughout. I was paid less throughout the whole beginning of my career. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Q: If there's one thing that you want the audience to take away about Lilly, what would it be? A: She got back up, and you should be a proud American when you watch her. _______ The Associated Press' women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Washington Post
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Patricia Clarkson on playing her icon Lilly Ledbetter and the political moment greeting the movie
NEW YORK — The film 'Lilly,' a biopic about the equal pay icon Lilly Ledbetter , lands in theaters at a difficult time for her biggest political and civil rights champions. Most are gone or out of power, their hopes of building on Ledbetter's legacy interrupted by a more fundamental fight over President Donald Trump's shake-up of civil rights institutions .
