Iron Jawed Angels (2004)

89% of users liked it
(5,993 ratings)

German filmmaker Katja von Garnier directs the HBO original movie Iron Jawed Angels, inspired by a pivotal chapter in American history. Hilary Swank plays Alice Paul, an American feminist who risked her life to fight for women's citizenship and the right to vote. She founded the separatist National… More German filmmaker Katja von Garnier directs the HBO original movie Iron Jawed Angels, inspired by a pivotal chapter in American history. Hilary Swank plays Alice Paul, an American feminist who risked her life to fight for women's citizenship and the right to vote. She founded the separatist National Woman's Party and wrote the first equal rights amendment to be presented before Congress. Together with social reformer Lucy Burns (Frances O'Connor), Paul struggled against conservative forces in order to pass the 19th amendment to the Constitution of the United States. One of their first actions was a parade on President Woodrow Wilson's (Bob Gunton) inauguration day. The suffragettes also encountered opposition from the old guard of the National American Women's Suffrage Association, Carrie Chapman Catt (Anjelica Huston). The activists get arrested and go on a well-publicized hunger strike, where their refusal to eat earns them the title of "the iron-jawed angels." Iron Jawed Angels was screened at the Sundance Film Festival in 2004 before its television premiere on HBO. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 3 min.
Directed By: Katja von Garnier
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 2003 Wide
On DVD: Sep 7, 2004

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
Iron Jawed Angels is an important history lesson told in a fresh, and blazing fashion.
Rob Blackwelder, SPLICEDWire
A stunning true story unfortunately tarted up for modern audiences, infused with modern informalities, fictional romances and wildly incongruous post-feminist empowerment pop.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

Interesting, but its style is too muddy.
Megan S

Strong, powerful story, it blew me away. I think it's a must see for everyone. I already know the answer to this question but why don't we learn about THIS in history class? I feel like I had no idea the depths of the struggles of the woman's suffrage movement until I… More
Strong, powerful story, it blew me away. I think it's a must see for everyone. I already know the answer to this question but why don't we learn about THIS in history class? I feel like I had no idea the depths of the struggles of the woman's suffrage movement until I saw this movie.
Chris W

This is a really well-made film about the fight for suffrage in the U.S. with fine acting by a great cast, and nice direction to boot. The soundtrack iis anachronistic, but it works well, so I have no problem with it, even though it adds historical innacuracy. This was an HBO… More
This is a really well-made film about the fight for suffrage in the U.S. with fine acting by a great cast, and nice direction to boot. The soundtrack iis anachronistic, but it works well, so I have no problem with it, even though it adds historical innacuracy. This was an HBO production, and it helps that it was too. I sadly have to admit that this film would have tanked had it been a big budget Hollywood affair. If you can track it down, watch it. This film captures important events that ALL Americans need to see and know about.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]"Iron Jawed Angels" starts out in 1912, as two suffragists return to America from England - Alice Paul(Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns(Frances O'Connor) - and petition the women's central committee to organize and fundraise in Washington, DC.… More
[font=Century Gothic]"Iron Jawed Angels" starts out in 1912, as two suffragists return to America from England - Alice Paul(Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns(Frances O'Connor) - and petition the women's central committee to organize and fundraise in Washington, DC. Even though the older generation is wary of the methods of the English suffragists(which included brick throwing), the committee grants permission. Once in the capital, Alice and Lucy organize a march which seemingly goes badly but also gets the activists lots of sympathetic press and an audience with President Wilson(Bob Gunton).[/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Iron Jawed Angels" serves as a valuable history lesson about the suffrage movement.(It is still timely. And even ninety years later, the Democrats are still useless.) I was surprised to realise how little I knew. The movie is not without its faults, though. The film's flashy style clashes with the period in which it is set.(It is best not to speed things up in a time when movement was remarkably slower.) It gets off to an awkward start but ends strongly.(Considering the large amount of ground to be covered, it might have been best to concentrate on the second half of the story.) And a misbegotten romantic subplot does not help.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]The cast including Anjelica Huston, Julia Ormond, Molly Parker, Brooke Smith and Vera Farmiga is excellent with O'Connor and Parker being standouts.[/font] [font=Century Gothic]I realize how brave the suffragists were especially with the misogyny they faced but...I still have to ask: did they go far enough? This was a time when Mother Jones and Emma Goldman were organizing and agitating even without the right to vote. [/font] Basically, the right to vote should be seen as a step, not the end of a movement.
Sunil J

A movie about women's right's that makes women look dumb.
Sarah P

The movie itself starts out a little slow and mediocre, but when the story gets intense, the actresses to too and by the end, it has stepped up into an amazing film and story. All women should thank Alice Paul and do not take for granted your right to vote!
Leo L

Brilliant!