Rachel Feldman’s “Lilly” aims to chronicle the impactful life of Lilly Ledbetter, a pioneering figure in the fight for equal pay, whose efforts culminated in the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. However, this biographical drama falls short of its potential, hampered by a confusing tonal blend and questionable stylistic choices. Patricia Clarkson’s portrayal of Ledbetter feels surprisingly timid, failing to fully capture the strength and determination of this real-life icon.
The film’s central flaw lies in its awkward integration of documentary footage and dramatic reenactments. Opening with Ledbetter’s 2008 Democratic Convention speech, the film interweaves Clarkson’s performance with archival footage, creating a jarring juxtaposition that undermines the narrative flow. This hybrid approach, while theoretically intriguing, ultimately feels clumsy and disjointed, leaving the viewer unsure of the film’s intended style. Instead of a cohesive narrative, “Lilly” often resembles a series of reenacted scenes propped up by compelling historical footage.
The first half, charting Ledbetter’s career at Goodyear, suffers particularly from this stylistic inconsistency. While Ledbetter’s perseverance in the face of constant gender discrimination and her inspiring relationship with her husband, Charles (John Benjamin Hickey), offer inherently dramatic material, Feldman frequently interrupts these moments with archival footage of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Ledbetter’s key legal advocate. This constant interruption, coupled with overly expository dialogue, suggests a lack of trust in the audience’s understanding of Ledbetter’s straightforward case. Furthermore, the film inexplicably employs muted and unattractive color palettes for flashback sequences, a jarring stylistic choice that adds nothing to the narrative. Other aspects of Ledbetter’s life, such as her relationship with her son and her passion for ballroom dancing, are similarly underdeveloped and lack the cinematic depth they deserve.
The film’s pacing and narrative structure remain erratic. The inclusion of irrelevant details, such as Ledbetter’s ballroom dancing, alongside important moments like discovering evidence of pay discrimination, creates a disjointed viewing experience. Crucially, the film’s attempts to illustrate Ledbetter’s struggles through a work-life balance lens are undermined by immediately following such scenes with RBG’s commentary on the same topic. This redundancy weakens the narrative impact and demonstrates a lack of confidence in the storytelling.
While the courtroom scenes, depicting Ledbetter’s initial victory and subsequent setbacks in the House and Supreme Court, are relatively engaging due to their inherent subject matter, even these moments are marred by unnecessarily heavy-handed dialogue and the use of country music tracks that feel forced and predictable.
Ultimately, “Lilly” fails to capture the essence of Ledbetter’s significant contribution to the fight for equal pay. The material possesses the potential for a compelling documentary or a powerful dramatic narrative in the vein of “On the Basis of Sex,” but Feldman’s film squanders this opportunity, leaving the audience with a frustratingly uneven and ultimately unsatisfying cinematic experience.