Watch Mrs. America

Mrs. America is a 2020 miniseries available on Hulu. The show is created by Dahvi Waller and has nine episodes. The show is set in the 1970s and revolves around the political movement for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The series explores the feminist movement spearheaded by Phyllis Schlafly (played by Cate Blanchett) and the opposition to it.

The show is an excellent portrayal of a historical moment in the United States. It follows the story of Phyllis Schlafly, a conservative activist, and her effort to stop the ERA. Schlafly is a conservative and a devout Catholic, and she leads a movement to stop ratification of the ERA by the states. Schlafly insists that the amendment would undermine traditional gender roles and the family unit. She also believes that women's rights were unnecessary as women in America already had equal rights as men.

While Schlafly leads the group opposing the ERA, a group of feminists gather to push for the passage of the amendment. The group is headed by Gloria Steinem (played by Rose Byrne), Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman), and Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba). They work tirelessly to advocate for change while contending with different views on how best to get the ERA ratified.

Mrs. America offers an excellent opportunity to view the different and oppositional perspectives on the feminist movement at the time. The show offers acute insight into the complexity of the fight for the ERA in a way that is both informative and engaging. The retro nature of the show is also compelling, with the wardrobe and scenes helping to transport viewers to the seventies.

One of the highlights of the show is Cate Blanchett's exceptional performance as Phyllis Schlafly. Blanchett captures the essence of Schlafly as a fiercely intelligent woman who has a clear understanding of her objectives. Through her performance, Blanchett shows audiences how Schlafly's ambition was driven by an unwavering belief that America's traditional values needed to be safeguarded.

The show also gives insight into how complicated the feminist movement was during that time. It was fraught with issues that hadn't been extensively explored before. For example, black feminists pushed for intersectionality, which led to significant issues between feminists of color and their white counterparts. The show adeptly handled dealing with these conflicts.

One of the themes of Mrs. America is how political movements aimed at affecting societal change can experience significant divergences within. The feminist movement is no exception. The show illustrates the fractions that existed within the movement and how they were dealt with. Betty Friedan, for example, is portrayed as being quite prickly and sometimes resentful towards other feminists. Her character can be seen as critiquing other feminists that didn't fit in with her vision.

Mrs. America is a cerebral exploration of political movements of the seventies, but the show also has a lot of heart. Each character is portrayed with specificity and depth that will leave viewers feeling that they have come to know the individuals portrayed. The show offers an excellent lesson in the importance of the roles that each person played in the feminist movement.

In conclusion, Mrs. America is a compelling watch that offers insight into the feminist movement and social justice of the 1970s. The show's presentation of Phyllis Schlafly and feminists of the time offers a fantastic breakdown of the significant events that occurred during that time. It highlights the successes of the feminist movement as well as its critical issues at that time. The show offers entertainment and education in equal parts and is a recommended watch for everyone interested in social justice movements.

Mrs. America is a series that is currently running and has 1 seasons (9 episodes). The series first aired on April 15, 2020.