“Lilly”

Director Rachel Feldman’s “Lilly” is a biopic that tells an incredibly important story but struggles to find its footing. The subject itself is inspiring, as the film tries to highlight Lilly Ledbetter’s fight against gender pay inequality and her journey from a factory worker to a key figure in women’s rights. Unfortunately, it feels more like a t.v. movie of the week than the type of feature film Ledbetter deserves.

The structure of the film itself sometimes feels confusing, especially as Feldman blends archival footage with dramatized scenes in a way that doesn’t feel seamless. One particularly strange choice is the repeated use of clips of Ruth Bader Ginsburg narrating Lilly’s (Patricia Clarkson) story. While it’s a powerful voice from a very respected woman, editing these clips into the middle of scenes feels jarring and disrupts the emotional flow. Instead of enhancing the story, these interruptions constantly pull you out of it.

The writing also leans too heavily on obvious emotional beats. There’s a lot of “wow, her life sure was tough!” type commentary, which comes across as over-the-top and lacking in subtlety. Moments that could have felt nuanced or insightful often feel forced, and the occasional corny pop music interludes make the tone feel inconsistent and awkward. The film clearly wants to be uplifting and inspiring, but it ends up being clunky and uneven because it gives too much attention to cheesy melodrama rather than the quieter (and more profound) elements of Lilly’s story.

The performances are fine, but the material doesn’t exactly give the actors a lot of room to breathe. The emotional highs and lows are spelled out too clearly, leaving little room for the audience to connect on a deeper level. Scenes that should be tense or moving often feel artificial because the script hits you over the head with the message rather than letting the story unfold naturally.

Despite the film’s laundry list of problems, it’s impossible to overlook the significance of Lilly Ledbetter’s story. The film makes clear just how unjust gender pay discrimination is, showing how Lilly discovered she was earning significantly less than her male colleagues for the same work at Goodyear. It also illustrates the perseverance required to fight a system stacked against her and the emotional toll it took on her personal life. These are powerful themes, and the movie does succeed in highlighting why Lilly’s journey matters even if the execution is flawed.

Ambitious and well-meaning, “Lily” is mostly just frustrating. The heavy-handed writing, jarring editing choices, and overly dramatic (and often unintentionally silly) scenes all work in tandem to sink the film. It’s a shame because this feminist icon certainly deserved better.

By: Louisa Moore