A powerful new biopic chronicling the life and legal battle of equal pay activist Lilly Ledbetter opens in theaters nationwide today, seven months after her passing at the age of 86.
Titled Lilly, the film stars Patricia Clarkson as Ledbetter, a former Goodyear supervisor whose years-long fight for wage equality led to landmark legislation in the United States. Written and directed by Rachel Feldman, the movie traces Ledbetter’s journey from rural Alabama to the steps of Congress, highlighting her resilience and determination in the face of systemic workplace discrimination.
Born in 1938, Ledbetter grew up in poverty without electricity or running water. A high school graduate, she worked various blue-collar jobs before joining Goodyear’s plant in Gadsden, Alabama, in 1979. As one of the few female supervisors, she faced frequent sexual harassment and hostility from male colleagues. Despite her perseverance, she later discovered she had been paid significantly less than her male counterparts for nearly two decades.
An anonymous note left at her workstation revealed the stark wage disparity, prompting Ledbetter to file a lawsuit. Though she initially won a federal court ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2007, citing that her claim had not been filed within the 180-day deadline following the original discriminatory pay decision. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg delivered a stirring dissent, encouraging Ledbetter to take her cause to Congress.
The film incorporates real-life interviews and speeches, including Ginsburg’s public support for Ledbetter’s cause. It also portrays the toll her legal struggle took on her family life, including her husband’s battle with cancer, during which he remained supportive of her activism.
Ledbetter’s efforts culminated in the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 29, 2009—just days into his first term. The law changed the statute of limitations on pay discrimination claims, restarting the 180-day clock with each paycheck.
Ledbetter never received back pay herself, but her story sparked a broader movement for workplace equity. TIME owner and Lilly producer Marc Benioff credited her with inspiring efforts to address pay disparities at Salesforce, which has since spent $22 million to promote pay equity.
Though progress continues, challenges remain. According to the Pew Research Center, women in 2024 earned just 85 cents for every dollar earned by men.
Ledbetter, a lifelong movie lover, was consulted throughout the development of the film and contributed to shaping the script. Feldman described her as a collaborator who deeply understood the power of storytelling. “She knew that when you affect people’s hearts, you affect their heads,” Feldman said.
Lilly opens as both a tribute to Ledbetter’s legacy and a reminder that the fight for equal pay is far from over.