User reviews

Very interesting time capsule (and kickass 70's soundtrack) that is more sympathetic to Phyllis Schlafly than I expected.

She was a savvy and determined woman; no matter your politics, the Schlafly family is remarkable and accomplished. Fantastic irony that the feminist movement she loathed was the very vehicle that gave her a voice.

Completely disagree with her politics and beliefs; but, credit where credit is due - she was a fighter and a worthy opponent.

The writing, the acting, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the costumes...... all are of such incredible quality that it was hard not to binge watch the whole series in one go. I had to limit myself to 2 episodes per viewing so I could fully appreciate the context, the storylines, the historical unfolding of two very real and very opposed ideologies that run so deep in America.

Absolutely fantastic viewing.

In most political tv-dramas ala West Wing there are the good sympathetic side, the pragmatic middle-ground and the evil/greedy/malicious adversaries. Not here. You will at times feel sympathy for both Cate Blanchetts complex portrayal of Shaftlys campaign against the women's liberation movement and disgust at the Pro-ERA proponents that ignore, undermine and fragment themselves in the fight for true equality between the sexes. The conversations are realistic "-Have you read Xs new unamed book? -No. I hear it is boring. -She is always a bore -". Events that we tend to think were front and center in the 70s are not dominating the narrative. Watergate, Vietnam and hippies are not shown to be the centre of the world like in Forrest Gump, rather they are mentioned briefly in passing conversations. Things that were way more discussed then but nearly forgotten today, like SALT and the awkward situation with the political parties in mid-shift is prominent. The conservatives and liberals are not synonyms to the respective parties. We meet the progressive republicans and the chauvinistic democrats. Kudos for showing that. Roe vs Wade is not shown to be the giant battle we think it was today, but rather we are treated to the more bipartisan support it enjoyed. ERA is not shown to be a life or death struggle with a small group of women standing up for it, rather a manifestation of a beginning culture war. There are no heroes, no easy answers or giant victories. This could have been a Wicked witch Shcaffly vs Saint Steinem series. It is not. We see Steinem avoiding picking sides, pedantic infighting, racial unspoken tension, the emergence of lgbtq-struggle, a wide range of christian views from the new evangelicals to the practical pragmatic Catholic mother who shield her gay son in Scafflys case. I love it. Because it does not try to dumb a complicated era down, rather we are shown an era were having a mailing list of 30 000 people was considered a major political asset... and where by-then-standard progressive women still considered it their duty to drive the daughters to tennis-lessons so their husbands could succeed... Where married women debating without their husbands present on television was strange. I am captivated( and also a man), in a way I have not been since Rome was premiering on HBO.

Impeccable cinematography, unbelievably talented cast.

Characters full of charm that captivate you, even if their beliefs may annoy you, disturb you, insult you or disgust you. This show is a cradle for experiencing how to empathize with all kinds of people. Not simply fun or entertaining, even though it certainly is due to the aforementioned reasons, but this show is like experiencing personal, political reinvention.

Can one's character be separate from their true or false beliefs? Have you seen how might beliefs collapse and shatter and turn into a different kind, all in one person's mind? And most importantly, how do you feel about feminism? How do you feel about the political subjugation of women? The answers to these questions will be find if you give this show a chance.

This show deserves a 10 star rating because it was essential for me and I believe it is essential for all. Highly recommended. Congratulations to the creators and cast!

Sophisticated look at multiple perspectives on women's rights. Still relevant today.

I was born a decade after the events in this series, but knew some of the this and that of the era. Of course, artistic licensing is taken here and historical accuracy is not its point, but what's been created is very engaging and entertaining (thank goodness).

The miniseries draws you in with the writing and the story, and with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Rose Byrne, Sarah Paulson, Jeanne Tripplehorne, Uzo Abudo and the rest of the fantastic supporting cast, you just don't want to shut it off.

Blanchett, of course, knocks it out of the park with her acting, with every thought and emotion written all over her face, while Byrne manages to steal our hearts so we cheer her on, whatever she chooses to do throughout the series. I binged watch this into the early morning hours and can't wait for the remaining episodes to drop!

To be fair, I knew the draw here was its star power and didn't expect much else from the miniseries, but I'm happy to admit I was wrong.

Phyllis Schlafly was a staunch conservative who stood in the way of women's rights as well as other civil movements like gay rights.

She is not the hero of this story and that's what makes the series so compelling. You get the story from many sides and each actress portrays their part with amazing talent that leaves you wanting to learn more.

I suppose the strong performances could be why some users like Liberius mistake the portrayal of individuals like Phyllis Schlafly as supporters of female empowerment when in reality she stood in the way of progress, not with facts but through charisma alone.

This was a typically well done and entertaining FX miniseries with no dull, time extending filler. The cast is top notch. My one issue was the twisting of the truth in regards to the Tom Snyder interview. I found it unnecessary and irresponsible. I am definitely pro women's rights and equality and I feel the cause is so worthy there is no need to twist the facts.

Do you ever watch a show, then after it's over you just feel lost? Like nothing else you watch could possibly compare. I don't know why, but I actually cried at the end.

The performances were spectacular. I loved that there weren't cliche things stealing away from the scenes (weed, hippies, disco, etc.), but instead little jabs were made in passing or in the background. Regardless of your views, it does portray both sides & I do think there is something in this series for everyone.

I found myself on an emotional rollercoaster watching this. One minute I'd feel sympathy toward Phyllis and at other times I felt like shaking her until some sense was knocked into her. She's an extremely intelligent woman and it's a shame she was on the wrong side of the political system. Great things could have been accomplished for women if she would have joined forces with Betty & Gloria's movement.

In many aspects, "Mrs. America" has a lot going for it as a miniseries. One can easily tell it is manage with great care by show runner Dahvi Waller, the cast is a who's who of solid names, and the production value is Mad Men-esque quality. It also tells an important story about the history of the proposed Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, along the way examining both political/personal sides of the Women's Liberation Movement of the 1970s. As constructed, however, the show does run into a few key obstacles that keep it from the upper echelon of similarly-themed fare.

Ostensibly, the show focuses on the political and social activities surrounding a proposed Equal Rights Amendment (or ERA) to the Constitution during the 1970s. In one corner is presented the Women's Liberation Movement, staffed by such key figures as Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne), Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale), and Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), to name just a scant few. Opposing the ERA is a group of more conservative forces led by Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett), a woman who will stop at nothing to make sure the amendment is not ratified.

To be clear, a 6/10 rating is probably the lowest I'd ever go for a show like this. It tells a lot of stories that have been marginalized through the years, and that's an exciting and interesting thing to see appear on television. Also, as previously mentioned, it was abundantly clear to me how much of a "labor of love" this was for everyone involved. From the actors to the writers/producers to the directors and everyone in between, telling these stories was extremely important.

That being said, there are two reasons why "Mrs. America" levels out on the low end of my potential rankings:

First, it's cast is actually too big, or at very least simply spread out through such a long period of time. For a show that tells such great human stories, it is frustrating to see so many characters come and go before you even have time to "figure them out". For example, there are certain characters in the first few episodes that never return, while a few other characters are merely background players at first before garnering bigger responsibilities in the end. Being bound by the long, drawn-out ERA ratification process was probably the main culprit here.

Secondly, I wish "Mrs. America" would have delved a bit deeper into the grey areas of the topics at hand. In the initial episode, Blanchett as Schlafly gives an episode-closing speech that, while most viewers inherently will realize to be "wrong" in most aspects, does hint at some intriguing grey areas to explore. But this show doesn't choose to go that route, instead continuing to take the lens of the battle between the two sides. Unfortunately, the problem with that approach is that this is something that is made clear from the word go: Schlafly is the villain, the "libbers" (as she would call them) are the protagonists, and that's simply the lay of the land.

Overall, I consider "Mrs. America" to be a solid biopic drama that is held back from greater status by its dogged insistence (forced or otherwise) on having the ERA as its cornerstone more than any single character, producing a sort of disjointed experience over the course of the episodes.

As a woman who is old enough to remember the events in this series, I can say most of it is true. And as a New Yorker, it brings back memories. Despite a few reviewers who claim this is a 'disgusting' and false portrayal of the early 70s women's movement, sorry, they are wrong. And if they look at Wikipedia's entry of Phyllis Schlafly, they will learn. This is a very entertaining and important series, don't miss it.

Good cast and solid production, but unfortunately everything else is pretty disappointing.

I may have expected too much when I saw the cast, but unfortunately this is a missed opportunity. The series is largely plain fiction, I expected a different and more realistic approach, and my disappointment was even greater when I saw that many facts were completely distorted, and some even presented completely differently from the events that actually happened.

For example, the television debate is in reality completely different than what is shown in the series. There was really no need for that, and the series completely lost credibility because of that.

The acting talent presented in this series deserved a better script.

Too bad, because it could have been great, and it turned out to be just another mediocre and barely watchable series.

I always want to like Cate Blanchett. She's an amazing actress that chooses strong rolls. This is no different, except that I disagree with everything this character stands for. She is strong and straightforward and stands out in her time, in ALL THE WAYS I DISAGREE WITH. That being said it is amazing, stunning, unprecedented acting. She is THE BEST front runner for intelligence and ignorance at the same time! Maybe ignorance is not correct but blind faith in an outdated and unacceptable view is better said. While I aggressively disagree with her views As a character, the acting is undeniably phenomenal. The rest of the cast is also amazing and emotional, but none of them hold a candle to Blanchett. She true is the force that runs this emotional, controversial program. Agree or disagree (hopefully disagree) politically, it is an amazing piece of work. I hope the dissension is what they planned to evoke and if so... WELL DONE.

Excellent performances, especially Blanchett. An interesting portray of two conflicting ideologies. Remember folks - feminism is about equality - not superiority.

I will start by stating that I am a man, just for any potential men reading this I do just got to keep their minds open and their hearts involved. With that out of the way, let's continue.

I'm very impressed by this series. This show tells the story of some of the most important events in modern American political history.

Among other things, this show taught me, without spoiling things, about how early the first female candidate for president came along, and unsurprisingly that she was black. The cast do an excellent job and the production is top tier. I quite like mini series format in general. Must say that I'm quite impressed with fx's lineup these days and want to see more of this and more like this.

I can't praise this series enough. The writing, casting, cinematography - perfection! The show is evenhanded in its portrayal of both sides and each woman featured. Blanchett delivers a knockout performance, as does actress Tracey Ullman. It's wonderful to see her in a dramatic role! Not a show to be missed!

The mini series had a nice cinematography and, of course, the leading lady was breathtakingly good. However, the final episodes was awkwardly concluded. The second lead was either toned down or too weak. Still, the series gave voice to both sides of the coin and an in depth look on the main character.

I lived through those days. Cate Blanchette is the bomb. Rose Byrne moved line she thought her wig was going to fall off- very distracting

Terrific series. The cast is wonderful. Very interesting how each episode focuses somewhat on a key figure, while the storyline threads also continue.

The public scenes are extremely faithful to the actual events.

Fascinating to dig up footage of the real people and see how mean spirited some of them actually were in real life.

What an incredible cast and story! But why on Earth would you cast Rose Byrne as a powerful, seasoned woman of late 30's Gloria Steinam? Rose didn't portray Gloria well at all. However, the story and the other characters were terrific. Growing up in the 70's with a very liberated, progressive mother, I was just sad to see them cast someone that really didn't have the right "feel and look" of Gloria of how she really was in the 70's.