Gloria: In Her Own Words

A well-paced, interesting hour of television.

The Steinem film is consistently interesting while at the same time being deferential to its subject.

One thing that the film makes clear is that Steinem was meant for the spotlight.

Gloria: In Her Own Words, though not perfect, is such an important documentary.

By making us wonder what Steinem doesn't declare, we can come to a greater understanding of the complexities of the woman herself, but only if we are willing to venture beneath the surface.

Rich as the subject is, the mix of first-person reminiscence with archival material doesn't overstay its welcome by a moment.

Stick with this fast-moving, clip-heavy survey course of Steinem's career, and you'll eventually get past the surface stuff.

Backed by archival footage, Gloria Steinem chronicles her career with candid on camera commentary. She's down to earth, no nonsense, smart and compelling.

This evocative hour doesn't lionize Steinem, but simply lays out what happened.