In a world where superheroes and sequels dominate the cinema, it’s refreshing to get a chance to watch a smaller film based not on some existing IP, but on the life of a real person. Early in President Barack Obama’s first term, he signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which aimed to give fair pay to all, with women so often being paid less than their male counterparts. The bill was named after Lilly Ledbetter, an Alabama woman who fought against Goodyear all the way to the Supreme Court after she discovered that male managers were being paid way more than her. Now, with the film Lilly, co-written and directed by Rachel Feldman, and starring Patricia Clarkson in the titular role, Ledbetter’s story is told in a feature film. It’s a story worth watching, but sadly, the movie itself feels more like a rushed made-for-TV flick, hitting the beats of a life rather than digging deep.
What Is ‘Lilly’ About?

Lilly opens with Patricia Clarkson as Lilly Ledbetter in a recreation of her moment speaking at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. The film then moves back in time to small-town Alabama, with Lilly shown working at a Goodyear tire factory in 1979. She’s surrounded by men on the floor who are bigger and stronger than her and aren’t afraid to show it, whether that means tossing a tire at her harder than they have to, or copping a feel under the guise of showing her how to do something. Lilly takes it, refusing to complain.
She’s trying out to be a supervisor, but her husband, a military man named Charles (John Benjamin Hickey), isn’t happy that she’s taking another man’s job. You want to roll your eyes at this. Oh no, is this going to be another tropey film where a woman is abused at both work and home? If it is, we have to take it, because this is a real-life story, but thankfully, Charles loves how strong and determined his wife is, and quickly becomes her biggest supporter.
Lilly moves through Lilly Ledbetter’s life, from issues at home with her son, Phil (Will Pullen), a life-threatening sickness that strikes Charles, and more and more problems at Goodyear. When Lilly realizes she is being paid less than all the male managers, she fights back, taking the corporate giant to court and later the Supreme Court. That’s quite a compelling story, which makes it such a shame that the final film is so lackluster.
‘Lilly’ Comes Across Like a Sappy Made-For-TV Movie

Lilly suffers from many issues. For one, it tries to tell decades’ worth of story in just 90 minutes, which is a very short runtime for any type of biopic. Rather than focusing on one aspect of Ledbetter’s journey and using that to tell her whole story, co-writer and director Rachel Feldman chooses to dip into several years of Lilly’s life. It’s 1979, and she’s working at Goodyear. It’s 1989, and she’s a manager with a stressful home life. It’s 1992. Now it’s 1998. Now it’s 2003. Lilly becomes a chiseled-down Wikipedia summary version of a life, dipping in here and there to show you the big moments, but in the process, characterization and emotion are stripped away. We don’t slow down and stay with Lilly or her family, but are given the highlights, so when a big scene happens, we don’t feel it. We are being told through dialogue that it’s important, but we only care because we know we’re supposed to.
Lilly comes across like a sappy made-for-TV movie with inauthentic dialogue. You know the type, where someone gives a big speech, like they’re going for the Oscar, but it feels so lifeless because no one talks this way. Lilly is written like it’s a movie, rather than a story, trying to cram everything in, instead of taking its time. Another half hour would have helped immensely to not make Lilly feel like it wasn’t a reel of greatest hits.

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One storytelling approach that Lilly does right, though, is that it keeps dipping into a real interview with the late Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is talking about Lilly Ledbetter’s life and her case, building up the scene we’re about to see, or discussing what we just saw. That’s a clever tactic which adds to the authenticity and the power of the story, but then Lilly is back to jumping around, with a score filled with the most mawkish country songs about strong women. Rather than showing us Lilly being strong, the score has to pound it in. In nearly every way, Lilly feels like a rushed Lifetime movie.
Patricia Clarkson Carries ‘Lilly’ When the Filmmaking Falters

Image via Blue Harbor Entertainment

Lilly is saved by a few of its actors. John Benjamin Hickey, as Charles Ledbetter, is convincing in his sweet relationship with his wife, even if the actor isn’t given much to do except recite his badly written dialogue about how much he supports his wife and how strong she is. Thomas Sadoski as Jon Goldfarb, the lawyer who believes in Lilly’s case, says a lot about how he feels about Lilly with a simple look, rather than going into a long monologue. And every man who stands in Lilly’s way will make you feel angry, no matter how much of a stereotype they come across as.
But this is Patricia Clarkson’s movie. Lilly might have an amateurish feel, but it’s held together by an acting legend. She doesn’t overdo it in how she portrays Ledbetter. She’s given eye-rolling scenes where she stoically stares off into the distance at a critical moment as a powerful country song tells us how strong she is, but she gives a quiet and assured performance when allowed to. Lilly is not a screaming woman making a scene, nor is she one who cowers. She is hurting and scared, but she’ll also fight for all she’s worth and stare you straight in the eye while she does it. Holding back and not turning her into an overly dramatic caricature is the best thing Lilly does.
Lilly Ledbetter, who passed away last year, is one of the most important figures of the 21st century. The movie about her is flawed, but the woman is an icon. Lilly could have been a much more coherent and confident film, but it’s still well worth watching to learn about a strong woman fighting against the men who hold her back. That’s worth investing your time in now more than ever.
Lilly comes to theaters on May 9.

Lilly

A flawed take on an iconic woman is still worth watching.

Release Date

May 9, 2025

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Rachel Feldman

Writers

Adam Prince, Rachel Feldman

Pros & Cons

Patricia Clarkson gives a convincing and subdued performance.
The relationship with her husband is sweet in such a sad story.
Adding in clips of RBG brought more power to the film.

90 minutes is way too short for a biopic.
The film rushes through Lilly Ledbetter’s life in short clips.
It feels like a sappy made-for-TV movie.