Iron Jawed Angels

Iron Jawed Angels is a 2004 American historical drama film. It was directed by Katja von Garnier and starred Hilary Swank as suffragist leader Alice Paul, Frances OConnor as activist Lucy Burns, Julia Ormond as Inez Milholland, and Anjelica Huston as Carrie Chapman Catt. The film received critical acclaim after it premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Much of the principal photography was done in Richmond, Virginia.

The film begins as Alice Paul Hilary Swank and Lucy Burns Frances OConnor return from England where they met while participating in the Womens Social and Political Union started by radical suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst and led by her daughter Christabel Pankhurst. The pair presents a plan to the National American Womans Suffrage Association NAWSA to push directly in Washington for womens rights to vote nationally. They see that their ideas were much too forceful for the established leaders, particularly Carrie Chapman Catt Anjelica Huston, but are allowed to lead the NAWSA Congressional Committee in DC. They start by organizing the 1913 Womens Suffrage Parade, on the eve of President Woodrow Wilsons inauguration.While soliciting donations at an art gallery, Paul convinces labor lawyer Inez Milholland Julia Ormond to serve as a figurehead for the parade and meets a Washington newspaper political cartoonist, Ben Weissman a fictional character, played by Patrick Dempsey, causing romantic fire to start. In a fictional scene, Paul tries to explain to Ida B. Wells why she wants African American women to march in the back of the parade in order to not anger southern Democrats in the movement, but Wells refuses, and joins a white group during the middle of the parade. Wells did refuse to be segregated and marched with her state delegation but never met with Paul about it. After disagreements over fundraising, Paul and Burns are pushed out of the NAWSA, and found the National Womans Party NWP to support their approach. Alice Paul briefly explores a romantic relationship with Ben Weissman. He has a child also a fictional character. ........

Source: Wikipedia