Iron Jawed Angels

This is an HBO movie about the final fight for women's voting rights. It probably helps to have had some background in the long battle for women's right to vote as this story picks it up in the final stages and takes it to the finish line. Others have said that it may try too hard not to be a period piece and that is probably a fair criticism as the characters may be a little more reflective of today than the early 1900's. Having said that, it has always taken people who have that radical toughness and obsession to break down barriers in society. Isn't it amazing that our Constitution that proclaimed 'all men are created equal....' took so long to make it really viable for half of our population, not to mention the battles for freedom from slavery and the subsequent struggle for voting rights of African-Americans. Our country was founded in revolution and struggle-both ideological and physical and that was the beginning as we have struggled to define 'all men' since then. This is a movie worth watching for the reminder of the hard fought (they literally experienced physical violence and wrongful imprisonment) rights that some in our society have had to battle for while others have been able to take for granted those same freedoms. This is the story of a sad chapter in our history and the women who paved the way for their daughters and granddaughters to have an equal (mostly) seat at the table. In a year where we had a woman almost achieve the nomination for President and a woman is on the ticket of the other party, this is a testimony to those who made it possible. [...]

Don't judge this DVD by it's incredibly inappropriate artwork. The story and the characters blew me away(in a good way). We all need examples of strength, courage, wisdom and sticktoitiveness to give us a boost in fighting our daily battles. This story delivers them. I'll watch it again.

Closing in on 100 years after women gained the right to vote in America, few know what a momentous struggle it was to establish the franchise among the female half of the population. "Iron Jawed Angels" tries to erase the misconception that the work of getting the vote was just the work of quaintly-dressed, semi-masculine suffragettes. In actuality, the road was long, frustrating and sometimes violent.

The movie focuses on Alice Paul, a young Quaker PhD from Swarthmore, played brilliantly by Hilary Swank. Paul represents the new breed of suffrage worker who, armed with advanced degrees and a passion for activism and justice, make the final push for the franchise. The movie shows us the difficult work of organizing reluctant women to support voting, as well as the political infighting that took place within the movement, Older suffrage supporters, like Carrie Chapman Catt (played by the magnificent Angelica Huston) have been firmly, patiently, yet unsuccessfully asking for the vote for years. Deferential to men in power, they hope to gain the vote by slowly amassing support at the state level. Alice Paul and her young comrades, like Lucy Burns (played by Frances O'Connor) and Reverend Anna Howard Shaw (played by Lois Smith) take a different tack, "manning" the phones and organizing public events to bring attention to their demand for the vote. But when World War I begins, there is a dilemma in the movement. Should suffragism go underground again until the hostilities end? Or is this the time to press even harder? When Alice Paul and her cohorts decide to go for it, they set in motion a series of events that leads to violence, imprisonment under trumped up charges and abuse.

Though "Iron Jawed Angels" is excellent, it has a few problems, notably the awkward title, which is equally descriptive and disparaging of the suffragists' determination. Then, there is the unfortunate (but predictable) love interest for Paul - Ben Weissman, a fictional newspaper cartoonist played by hunky Patrick Dempsey. A particualrly unfortunate bathtub scene (you'll know it when you see it.) in which Hilary muses on an afternoon encounter with Weissman, comes close to devolving into soft porn. Such nonsense is both unnecessary and out of keeping with the film's uplifting tone of female empowerment.

"Iron-Jawed Angels" is smartly written, very well acted and informative about a historical period that mostly wins smirks. Great acting turns by the above named as well as by Vera Farmiga as a Russian immigrant and Molly Parker as the timid wife of a US Senator. The film's best line is delivered at a White House meeting with a reluctant President Woodrow Wilson. When a comparison of suffragist demands to Patrick Henry's "Give me Liberty of give me Death" speech is called "apples and oranges," a participant says that "In oranges and women, courage is often mistaken for insanity." This film tells the true story about courage and a drive for equality and justice. Inspiring and moving.

It's easy to forget in 2008 that women haven't always had the right to vote. That right was secured by determination and force of will in the face of strong opposition. I bought this to share with friends who are involved in the Obama campaign - people who are looking for a change in America, for the chance to continue on the journey of making America a "more perfect union". After we watched - and were inspired by -- this true story, another friend borrowed it to share with her friends, and then another, and another. Watching the way these women were treated, and the disdain in which they were held as they fought for a basic right of citizenship has helped remind a widening circle of precious is the right to vote, and how important it is to exercise that right.

My mother was born the year women finally got the vote.(1920)I learned this fact in school but little else about the struggle.This film will open the eyes of many people,I'm sure.It certainly opened mine and made me truly appreciate the right to vote. This film made the women who fought for the vote into real people for me instead of just some dry fact of history! Well acted and worth your time!