How ‘Mrs. America’ Directors Went From ‘Captain Marvel’ to a Feminist History Lesson

This story about “Mrs. America” directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck first appeared in the Limited Series & Movies issue of TheWrap’s Emmy magazine. The FX miniseries “Mrs. America” is a history lesson rooted in the feminist politics of the 1960s and ’70s — both the women’s movement that gained power under the leadership of Gloria Steinem, Betty Freidan and others who were instrumental in the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment through Congress; and the anti-ERA activists who coalesced around Phyllis Schlafly and helped block the amendment from being ratified by the necessary 38 states. But to call it a “history lesson” is to downplay how wildly entertaining this cast of characters is, especially in the hands of a group of actors that includes Cate Blanchett as Schlafly, Rose Byrne as Steinem, Tracey Ullman as Friedan, Uzo Aduba as Shirley Chisholm, Margo Martindale as Bella Abzug and Elizabeth Banks as Jill Ruckelshaus. “It seems like some of this stuff couldn’t possibly be real, like the (conservative) women bringing bread to legislators in Illinois (to lobby for no votes on the E.R.A.),” said Anna Boden, who directed four of the nine episodes with Ryan Fleck. “The real footage is more...

Read original story How ‘Mrs. America’ Directors Went From ‘Captain Marvel’ to a Feminist History Lesson At TheWrap