MOVIE OF THE WEEK May 9, 2025: LILLY
If the more unpleasant aspects of late-stage capitalism have you seeing red these days, Lilly isn’t likely to change your mind on that front. But Rachel Feldman‘s earnest biopic about the extremely determined Lilly Ledbetter (Patricia Clarkson), who fought long and hard in the name of ensuring equal pay for women, is a timely, meaningful reminder that one person truly can help to make a real difference when faced with injustice and discrimination.
The movie begins with Lilly’s memorable speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention (mixing footage of the real Lilly with that of Clarkson), then flashes back to late-1970s Alabama to tell viewers how she got there. It’s then and there, as a spirited wife and mother who wanted more for her young family, that Lilly starts working for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., the only woman to enter the company’s challenging supervisor training program. Not only does she get through the program, she excels — but she doesn’t “play nice” with the men who work with and around her, so they make it their mission to ensure that she can never really get ahead.
Scared of losing the job that helped keep her family fed and housed, Lilly keeps her chin up for almost 20 years despite trumped-up demotions, sexist treatment, and constant persecution. But when, on the day she’s finally forced out for good, she finds out that she’s been making at least 25% less than the men in her position, she begins a legal crusade that will eventually take her all the way to the Supreme Court. Along for the ride are her supportive husband, Charles (John Benjamin Hickey), and faithful lawyer Jon Goldfarb (Thomas Sadoski), who are in her corner no matter what the corporate yes men at Goodyear — and the complicit politicians they cozy up to — throw her way.
While Lilly isn’t the most nuanced of biopics — the greedy executives and the good ol’ boy Republicans are practically twirling Snidely Whiplash mustaches, and some moments seem a little bit too perfect for a movie based on real life (like rival campaign reps coming to Lilly’s door at the exact same moment) — there’s no denying the power of Lilly’s story. Clarkson is, as always, excellent, every inch a feisty, plain-spoken, hard-willed Southern woman who understands that it’s her duty to stand up not just for herself, but for the others in her position who can’t. And Feldman’s decision to weave in genuine historical footage of everyone from Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Barack Obama talking about Lilly provides extra heft. The film, like its main character, isn’t messing around. — Betsy Bozdech
Team #MOTW’s comments:
Nell Minow: Lilly Ledbetter lost a lot of battles before she won the war. It is heartening to see her persist, and to see the evolving sense of herself, her ability, and her value that made it possible. The inclusion of real-life archival footage of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and especially Ruth Bader-Ginsburg in support of pay equity and of Ledbetter’s courage, is especially moving.
Sherin Nicole “I’ve heard of God the son, and God the father, I’m still looking for a God for the daughters” is a hell of a lyric. The song The Daughters from Little Big Town is well suited to the story of Lilly Ledbetter and how she kicked workplace discrimination in the shins. Patricia Clarkson brings her versatility and gravitas to Rachel Feldman’s directorial feature debut— Lilly. The biopic tells the story of the Alabama factory worker who sparked a legislative movement with the styling of a primetime drama; propelled by Clarkson’s magnetism.
Leslie Combemale Audiences watching Lilly who know Patricia Clarkson’s work will expect a flawless performance, and they get that. What will surprise them is the exceptional and magnetic chemistry between Clarkson as Lilly, and John Benjamin Hickey, who plays her husband Charles Ledbetter, as well as the chemistry between Clarkson and Thomas Sadoski, who plays lawyer Jon Goldfarb, the attorney that not only helped make the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act a reality, but became Lilly’s lifelong friend. It is the relationships that give the film its beating heart, and these performers working together build its emotional center, scene by scene.
Jennifer Merin Lilly is writer/director Rachel Feldman’s superb biopic about feminist activist Lilly Ledbetter, a worker at the Goodyear Tire factory in Alabama. Ledbetter, a long-standing employee, was was consistently the top producer in the plant, yet she was constantly overlooked for promotions and she was being paid less than male workers who were doing the same job she was but less successfully. When she was fired to speaking up, she took her case to the courts. the case eventually landed in the Supreme Court where she won her landmark decision, establishing women’s rights to equal pay. Rachel Feldman’s direction of the film is flawless. Patricia Clarkson’s portrayal of Lilly Ledbetter is perfect. The film is all about feminist fortitude in fighting gender-based discrimination. Archival footage of another of our feminist champions, the great Ruth Bader Ginsberg, is used to substantiate the importance of the ruling in Ledbetter’s favor. Lilly is pure inspiration and it is a must see.
Sandie Angulo Chen: Patricia Clarkson delivers a powerful performance in writer-director Rachel Feldman’s thought-provoking biographical drama Lilly, which tells the story of Lilly Ledbetter, the Alabama factory supervisor who sued Goodwill after discovering she was paid significantly less than her male peers. Blending narrative with documentary footage, the film serves as a compelling reminder of the systemic pay inequality and persistent underestimation of women in the workplace.
Loren King With one of the great names found outside the world of literature, Lilly Ledbetter is as memorable a character as one might find in a novel. Ledbetter, who died last year, now has the great fortune to be played onscreen by Patricia Clarkson in Lilly, about a working class labor warrior that ranks with Norma Rae. With Southern charm and sharp humor wrapped around a steely spine, Ledbetter brought a pay discrimination case against Goodyear Tire and Rubber, the Alabama plant where she worked for 20 years. Her long fight helped pass the fair pay act in 2009. The film tells her story, from the blatant harassment she endured in the nearly all-male workplace and her home life with conservative but supportive husband Charles (John Benjamin Hickey) to her decision to file charges against the powerful, well connected company for harassment and wage discrimination. Director Rachel Feldman cuts actual footage into her drama, with late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s interviews about the case serving as astute and colorful commentator on the action. It makes “Lilly” not only an engaging biopic but an enlightening social justice film.
Liz Whittemore Drawing inspiration from the memoir Grace and Grit: How I Won My Fight at Goodyear and Beyond, filmmaker Rachel Feldman captures Lilly Ledbetter’s path from the Goodyear factory floor to the Supreme Court, Congress, and the White House in the unique new film. Feldman deftly maneuvers the innumerable uphill battles of being female, everything from workplace harassment, victim shaming, medical gaslighting, and classic patriarchal power grabbing. Interviews with Ruth Bader Ginsberg speaking about Lilly’s journey serve as part of the narration and create a cleverly structured biopic. Feldman also shows audiences the invaluable impact of a supportive partner. Patricia Clarkson is a force of nature in the title role. Clarkson tackles the feminist icon with a lived-in turn. I wish the film weren’t as relevant today, but as we face an administration hellbent on destroying progress in all aspects, Lilly stands as an example of what and who we’re fighting for. Lilly delivers a mighty portrait of a pioneer in the fight for equal rights for women. We are eternally grateful for her ceaseless passion. She will continue to be a hero for future generations, reminding us never to forget our Girl Gumption.
Cate Marquis The “Lilly” in director Rachel Feldman’s true-story inspired narrative film Lilly is Lilly Ledbetter. Many of us had never heard Lilly Ledbetter’s story until President Obama brought it to the fore, and attached her name to legislation to establish equal pay for equal work for women. Patricia Clarkson does a fine job portraying Lilly Ledbetter, a woman who worked her way up to a supervisor position at a Goodyear Tire factory in Alabama, no matter how many times they knocked her down, yet was paid less than male supervisors. Actual footage of the late great Ruth Bader Ginsberg adds to the film’s luster. Ledbetter is a worthy subject for a biographical film but this film also deserves applause for throwing a spotlight on the still-ongoing fight for equal pay, one of the most critical battles in the fight for women’s rights and one that still has not been entirely won.
FILM DETAILS:
Title: Lilly
Director: Rachel Feldman
Release Date: May 9, 2025
Running Time: 93 minutes
Language: English
Screenwriters: Rachel Felddman, Adam Prince
Lead Performers: Patricia Clarkson, John Benjamin Hickey, Thomas Sadoski. Ruth Bader Ginsberg
Distribution Company: Blue Harbor Entertainment
AWFJ Movie of the Week Panel Members: Sandie Angulo Chen, Betsy Bozdech, Leslie Combemale, Pam Grady, Loren King, Cate Marquis, Jennifer Merin, Nell Minow, Sherin Nicole, Liz Whittemore
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Edited by Jennifer Merin
