The story of 1970s musician and activist Helen Reddy.
Pam says: This biopic, for many of us who were too young to recall the activism of women like Reddy, filled in the numerous blanks during a time when women were fighting for the ERA (which still has yet to be ratified). Her music fueled the fires to stay strong and became the anthem for the ERA. Her backstory is one of struggle, but more importantly of perseverance. Tilda Cobham-Hervey captures the essence of Reddy, but her passion behind the singing just isn’t there leaving me a bit empty. As a character actress, however, she nails it. Her reactions to the men who hold all the power is subtle, familiar, and her internal conflict between motherhood and career is equally understated yet familiar. While we know how this story ends, “I Am Woman” gives us all the details of her life, the ups and downs, and her influence upon women everywhere in the U.S. Of course, Reddy’s music inspired me to sing along–thankfully only the dog was privy to such a massacre of music– bringing me back in time to my youth and reminding me that yes, we’ve come a long way (baby), but we’ve still got a long way to go.
3 stars
