By John Saeger
The FX on Hulu miniseries Mrs. America explores attempts to pass (and block) the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. One of the best television productions of 2020, the nine-episode series is a sensational portrayal of a divisive time in American history. The show’s comprehensive look at different aspects of feminism and politics of the 1970s is bolstered by the acting of Cate Blanchett and an incredible cast.
Beginning in 1971, Mrs. America begins after the approval of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in Congress. The amendment, which was first introduced in 1923, guarantees equality for Americans regardless of gender. As the series picks up, the ERA is destined for ratification as it received widespread support from both major political parties. Illinois housewife and aspiring politician Phyllis Schlafly is initially indifferent to the amendment until she senses an opportunity for advancement. Portrayed by Blanchett, Schlafly is the dominant force in the series despite opposing critical figures of second-wave feminism such as Gloria Steinem, Shirley Chisolm, and Betty Friedan.
In addition to Blanchett, the series has an insanely talented A-list cast of Sarah Paulson, Rose Byrne, Elizabeth Banks, and John Slattery. The stars are supported by an ensemble of Uzo Aduba, Margo Martindale, Tracy Ullman, and a host of well-traveled character actors. Despite not having a weak link in the massive cast, Mrs. America is Blanchett’s show from start to finish.
Her portrayal of Schlafly is maddening and magnetic. In a performance that should garner heavy consideration for an Emmy, Blanchett delivers a perpetually smug and uncompromising performance. She somehow balances a mixture of being a housewife, idealogue, and perpetual wannabe who is willing to take the feminist movement down singlehandedly. While it would have been easy to cast Schlafly as a straight-up villain, Mrs. America leaves that somewhat open to interpretation.
The tidal wave of feminism is portrayed as being imperfect. The rival micro-ideologies clash as the movement attempts to sort itself out as a mainstream political force. This includes racism and homophobia within different entities of the movement. The series leaves the ultimate judgment of different movers and shakers up to the audience. While she is clearly the obstructionist to what the large part of the cast is trying to accomplish, Schlafly is mostly portrayed as is. The style of Mrs. America is similar to the Dick Cheney biopic Vice. Despite a lead who is also the antagonist, portions of the series may find sympathy with different sects of an audience instead of overstating certain opinions.
The miniseries is on par with HBO’s acclaimed John Adams, another exceptional historical mini-series that digs into an understudied segment of American history. Somewhat inspired by the American Crime Story template, Mrs. America digs into the time period with the same veracity as The People v. O.J. Simpson and The Assasination of Gianni Versace. Despite devoting nine episodes to the Equal Rights Amendment, Mrs. America left me wanting more episodes of a truly remarkable series.
About the Author: John Saeger is a music and film writer from Philadelphia. He has written the pop-culture blog Long After Dark, a site dedicated to the arts in the City of Brotherly Love and beyond, since 2017. Twitter Facebook Instagram
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