AKA Jane Roe (2020)

 

 

 

 

AKA Jane Roe is a documentary film which premiered on American television (FX) in 2020.

 

The topic is abortion in the US; a topic which can raise strong feelings one way or the other in the US.

 

Jane Roe is the legal pseudonym of the plaintiff in the case called Jane Roe vs. Wade which began in Texas in 1970 and ended in the US Supreme Court in 1973.

 

According to the US Supreme Court ruling of 1973, abortion is a constitutional right and this means abortion must be legal in every US state.

 

The name of the person behind the pseudonym is Norma McCorvey. This film is about her life and the history of abortion in the US.

 

Norma plays an important role in the history of abortion, because she was the plaintiff in a landmark case which still stands today, even though it is highly controversial.

 

The opposite is also true:

 

The history of abortion plays an important role in Norma’s life, because the pro-choice and the pro-life campaigns made a huge impact on the course of her life.

 

Here is some basic information about this film:

 

** Director: Nick Sweeney

** Run time: 81 minutes

 

Several persons are interviewed in the film.

 

Here are the names:

 

** Norma McCorvey (aka Jane Roe) (1947-2017)

** Connie Gonzalez (Norma’s long-time friend) (died in 2017)

** Andy Meisler – a writer – co-author of a book about Norma and her life

 

** Charlotte Taft – an activist (pro-choice)

** Gloria Allred – a lawyer (pro-choice)

 

** Philip “Flip” Benham – a reverend (pro-life)

** Rob Schenck – a reverend (pro-life)

 

In this film, both sides are given a chance to present their point of view. The director has interviewed some persons who are pro-choice and some persons who are pro-life. This fact means the film is not one-sided. It is balanced.

 

Having presented both sides of the issue, the director is allowed to take a stand on the issue and it is obvious that he supports the side which is known as pro-choice.

 

What do reviewers say about the film?

 

On IMDb it has a rating of 69 per cent, which corresponds to 3.5 stars on Amazon.

 

On the Roger Ebert website, Sheila O’Malley offers 3 of 4 stars, which corresponds to a rating of 75 percent.

 

According to Sheila O’Malley, there are some “interesting revelations” in this film. I agree with her on this point. But I will not tell you anything about these revelations in this review. I do not wish to spoil the viewing for anyone.

 

On Rotten Tomatoes there are two figures:

 

70 percent = the audience

88 per cent = the critics

 

As you can see, the ratings are quite good.

 

When you look at Rotten Tomatoes, you can see that there is a significant difference between the general audience and the professional critics.

 

When we are talking about a documentary film, it is not unusual that the critics offer a better rating than the audience. Perhaps the audience was hoping for an action movie?

 

I want to go all the way to the top with this product. I think it deserves a rating of five stars (100 percent).

 

ONE REFERENCE

** Joshua Prager, “The Accidental Activist,” Vanity Fair, February 2013

 

TWO BOOKS

** I am Roe: My Life, Roe v. Wade and Freedom of Choice by Norma McCorvey and Andy Meisler (1994)

** Won by Love by Norma McCorvey and Gary Thomas (1997)

 

MORE INFORMATION

** Lake of Fire (2006)

** 12th & Delaware (2010)

** After Tiller (2013)

** Vessel (2014)

** Abortion: Stories Women Tell (2016)

** Reversing Roe (2018)

** Ask for Jane (2018) - a historical drama based on a true story

 

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