15 August, 2024 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 7 categories

Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Conservatively Equal…

Mrs. America is a political drama television miniseries produced by FX and originally aired on the sister service FX on Hulu. Created and co-written by Davhi Waller and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Amma Asante, Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, and Janicza Bravo, the series details the unsuccessful political movement to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and the unexpected backlash led by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly in the 1970s. It features a large ensemble cast led by Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Melanie Lynskey, Margo Martindale, John Slattery, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tracey Ullman, and Sarah Paulson.

Genre: Historical drama, and Political drama, Created by Dahvi Waller, Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Uzo Aduba, Elizabeth Banks, Kayli Carter, Ari Graynor, Melanie Lynskey, Margo Martindale, John Slattery, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tracey Ullman, Sarah Paulson, with Theme music composer: Ludwig van Beethoven (arranged by Walter Murphy), Opening theme: "A Fifth of Beethoven", with Composer: Kris Bowers, Country of origin: United States, No. of seasons: 1, No. of episodes: 9, Executive producers: Stacey Sher, Cate Blanchett, Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, Coco Francini, Dahvi Waller, Micah Schraft, Producers: Tanya Barfield, Boo Killebrew, Sharon Hoffman, with Cinematography by Jessica Lee Gagné, Pepe Avila del Pino, and Chris Teague, Editors: Robert Komatsu, Emily E. Greene, and Todd Downing, Running time: 43–54 minutes, Production companies: Shiny Penny Productions, Dirty Films, Gowanus Projections, Federal Engineering, and FXP, Original Network: FX on Hulu. (2020)

Dahvi Waller of 'Mrs. America' speaks during the FX segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 09, 2020 in Pasadena, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

(L-R) Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck of 'Mrs. America' speak during the FX segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 09, 2020 in Pasadena, California. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Director/Screenwriter Amma Asante speaks onstage at the screening of 'Where Hands Touch' at CAA on September 21, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Earl Gibson III/Getty Images

Director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre attends the AFI Fest 2022: Screening of “Lady Chatterley's Lover" at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on November 06, 2022 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AFI

Director Janicza Bravo attends Film Independent's 2022 Directors Close-Up - From Page To Screen: Writing And Directing event at The Landmark on March 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

Phyllis Stewart Schlafly ( born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart; August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was an American attorney, conservative activist, and anti-feminist who was nationally prominent in conservatism. She held paleoconservative social and political views, opposed feminism, gay rights and abortion, and successfully campaigned against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. More than three million copies of her self-published book A Choice Not an Echo (1964), a polemic in support of Republican candidate Barry Goldwater and condemning more liberal east coast Republicans personified by Nelson Rockefeller, were sold or distributed for free. Schlafly co-authored books on national defense and was critical of arms control agreements with the Soviet Union In 1972, Schlafly founded the Eagle Forum, a conservative political interest group, and remained its chairwoman and CEO until her death in 2016 while staying active in conservative causes. Photo Credit: Getty Images

View of demonstrators as they carry a banner on Pennsylvania Avenue (at approximately 4th St NW) during the Equal Rights Amendment March, Washington DC, July 9, 1978. Their banner reads 'National ERA March for Ratification and Extension. Visible at center is the curved facade of the Federal Trade Commission building and, behind it, the tower of the Old Post Office Pavilion. Photo by Ann E. Zelle/Getty Images

Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Elizabeth Banks as Jill Ruckelshaus in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Melanie Lynskey as Rosemary Thomson in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

John Slattery as Fred Schlafly in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Jeanne Tripplehorn as Eleanor Schlafly in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Tracey Ullman as Betty Friedan in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

Sarah Paulson as Alice Macray in "Mrs. America" (2020) Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

The nine-part limited series premiered on April 15, 2020, and was well recieved with widespread critical acclaim. It received ten nominations including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, as well as acting nominations for Blanchett, Aduba, Martindale, and Ullman, with Aduba winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. In January 2021, the American Film Institute named Mrs. America one of the ten best television shows of 2020.

"Mrs. America" received ten nominations including Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, as well as acting nominations for Blanchett, Aduba, Martindale, and Ullman, with Aduba winning Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie at the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards. Photo Credit: FX Networks/Hulu

The nominees for "Outstanding Limited Series" at the "72nd Primetime Emmy Awards" are: 1. "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu) 2. "Mrs. America" (FX on Hulu) 3. "Unbelievable" (Netflix) 4. "Unorthodox" (Prime Video)

The nominees for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie" at the "72nd Primetime Emmy Awards" are: 1. Cate Blanchett 2. Shira Haas 3. Regina King 4. Octavia Spencer 5. Kerry Washington

"The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards" - "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie winner Uzo Aduba for "Mrs. America" (2020) Frank Ockenfels/ABC via Getty Images

In January 2021, the American Film Institute named "Mrs. America" one of the "Ten Best Television Shows of 2020". Photo Credit: American FIlm Institute

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2019, until May 31, 2020, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The ceremony was originally to be held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was instead hosted from the Staples Center, while winners gave speeches remotely from their homes or other locations. It aired live on September 20, 2020, following the 72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 14–17 and 19. During the ceremony, Emmy Awards were handed out in 23 categories. The ceremony was produced by Done and Dusted, directed by Hamish Hamilton, and broadcast in the United States by ABC. Jimmy Kimmel served as host for the third time. At the main ceremony, Schitt's Creek won all seven comedy categories including Outstanding Comedy Series, becoming the first comedy series to complete a sweep of those categories. Succession and Watchmen each won four awards, including Outstanding Drama Series and Outstanding Limited Series, respectively. Other winning programs include Euphoria, I Know This Much Is True, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, The Morning Show, Mrs. America, Ozark, RuPaul's Drag Race, and Unorthodox. Including Creative Arts Emmys, Watchmen led all programs with 11 wins and 26 nominations, while HBO took home 30 awards to lead all networks. Photo Credit: Wikipiedia Commons

Mrs. America is based on and dramatizes the story of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, and the unexpected backlash led by conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, played by Blanchett. Through the eyes of the women of that era – both Schlafly and prominent second-wave feminists including Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Shirley Chisholm, Bella Abzug, and Jill Ruckelshaus – the series explores how one of the toughest battlegrounds in the culture wars of the 1970s helped give rise to the Moral Majority and permanently shifted the American political landscape.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would, if added, explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It was written by Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman and introduced in Congress in December 1923 as a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The purpose of the ERA is to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and women in matters of divorce, property, employment, and other matters. Opponents originally argued it would remove protections that women needed. In the 21st century, opponents argue it is no longer needed and some disapprove of its potential effects on abortion and transgender rights. When the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted in 1868, the Equal Protection Clause, which guarantees equal protection of the laws, did not apply to women. It was not until 1971 that the United States Supreme Court extended equal protection to sex based discrimination. However, women have never been entitled to full equal protection as the Court subsequently ruled that statutory or administrative sex classifications were subject to an intermediate standard of judicial review, a less stringent standard than that applied to other forms of discrimination.

The Rev. Jerry Falwell mobilized religious conservatives, including at this 1980 rally outside the State House in Trenton. Credit...William E. Sauro/The New York Times The Moral Majority was an American political organization and movement associated with the Christian right and the Republican Party in the United States. It was founded in 1979 by Baptist minister Jerry Falwell Sr. and associates, and dissolved in the late 1980s. It played a key role in the mobilization of conservative Christians as a political force and particularly in Republican presidential victories throughout the 1980s.

Mrs. America is the Featured Television Blog of the month for August, You can expect a detailed critique of the limited series with historical context of the movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. There is also a detailed recommendation of the limited series with the detailed biography of the real life historical characters portrayed in the miniseries. There is also a detailed review of the nine episodes of the political drama limited series. For the interview, the cast and creator of the miniseries sit down with Variety Magazine‘s Editor – at – Large to discuss the FX on Hulu limited series. There is also a Top Ten List, and for Mrs. America, the list is My Top Ten Cate Blanchett Movies! Last but not least, the Featured Television Blog of the month includes an Official Trailer for the featured series!