THE STORY – The thrilling and adventurous life of beloved advice columnist and gonzo journalist E. Jean Carroll, the only woman to beat Trump in court. Twice.
THE CAST – N/A
THE TEAM – Ivy Meeropol (Director/Writer), Leah Goudsmit & Ferne Pearlstein (Writers)
THE RUNNING TIME – 91 Minutes
The last few years have placed advice columnist E. Jean Carroll under a microscope due to her two legal proceedings against President Donald Trump (which juries found him liable for defamation and sexual abuse and awarded her a total of $88.3 million in damages). But there’s so much more to learn about this spunky woman, as is shown in Ivy Meeropol’s flawed yet effective documentary, “Ask E. Jean.” There’s the ahead-of-her-time opinion writer who helped women everywhere navigate relationship drama and vouch for their independence. There’s the fearless journalist who jumped at any opportunity for a good story. And there’s the reflective woman today who recognizes her past mistakes and is fighting for change. While the documentary may not be perfect at telling Carroll’s full story (a large chunk is inevitably dedicated to her court cases), it gives viewers plenty of reasons to fall head over heels for this entertaining firecracker.
As is standard in any documentary profile, “Ask E. Jean” dives into Carroll’s early life, including a speedy photo and video montage of her marriage to a man who considered himself the next Ernest Hemingway, her writing, and her inevitable move to New York, which entirely changed her life. It’s fascinating to learn about the stories she got to work on in her first few years, such as taking everyone’s favorite New Yorker, Fran Lebowitz, out camping (a sight that truly needs to be seen to be believed) and sharing wild dispatches from her time hanging out with Hunter S. Thompson. In all honesty, this documentary could have focused solely on Carroll’s illustrious career and the endlessly entertaining subjects she wrote about. I mean, who wouldn’t want to hear all the crazy stories she could tell about moving into a fraternity at Dartmouth or making out with the late actor William Hurt? It’s in these moments that we really get to see her personality shine, and Meeropol gives us the chance to feel a true connection to her subject.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspects of this film are seeing just how ahead of her time Carroll was back in the day, and how she was also hindered by the times. Once she became Elle Magazine’s advice columnist, her spunk truly came out. Women everywhere were writing to her to ask about their marriages, how to keep the spark alive, and what to do if they weren’t married by 30. Considering this was the ‘80s and ‘90s, when women were seeking careers for themselves but were still expected to be mothers at the same time, it’s so cool to hear clips from Carroll’s television show “Ask E. Jean” telling women to go to college, pursue their dreams, and stop holding themselves back. At the same time, however, Carroll held beliefs that contradicted the very feelings of female empowerment she shared. She would tell people to “suck it up” if times were bad, and she even called Anita Hill and Paula Jones, two women who accused men in power of sexual assault, wimps. Rather than question her, Meeropol gives Carroll the space to reflect on that time herself, admitting that she doesn’t like reading her old columns and that she’s done a lot of growing over the years. It’s genuinely refreshing to hear someone not try to defend themselves, simply own their faults, and show how they’ve changed.
It comes into clearest focus when the documentary primarily shifts to court proceedings involving Trump. By now, most people are aware of Carroll’s sexual assault allegations against the President, and that he, in response to the accusation, said she wasn’t his type. But it’s still harrowing to hear her recount the assault in a deposition, in which she reported that he raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman changing room in the 1990s. She’s able to tell it in her own words with little on-screen flourishes, which delivers spine-chilling results. It took until the #MeToo movement for her to come forward with her story, even though she advised women to “always press charges” and not to feel shame around being raped during her show. It’s another moment that allows Carroll to reflect on the changing times and on how much she’s grown over the years. The deposition and court scenes also elicit a lot of rage, especially as she’s peppered with so many insensitive questions (like if she was wearing a bra and underwear at the time of the alleged assault), and how she has to make herself seem “fuckable” so that a jury would believe her story. It makes it all the more satisfying when she does win her two suits, even though she still has not received any money, as Trump continues to appeal both judgments.
In the ways that “Ask E. Jean” succeeds by capturing the many fascinating facets of its subject, it’s also a bit clunky at telling her story. It’s presented in a non-linear structure, which isn’t too hard to follow with the help of older photos and videos and occasional on-screen dates. But then some of the stories she shares are harder to place, like a very brief stint as a writer on “Saturday Night Live.” There’s no doubt she has lots of wild tales about that time in her life, but the documentary sadly doesn’t dwell on it whatsoever. Certain snippets from her life, such as her cheerleading career and her two marriages, also feel as if they were wedged into the film simply because they had to be mentioned, resulting in jumpy cuts.
While “Ask E. Jean” has its flaws, it flourishes simply by letting Carroll take center stage. By looking beyond the lawsuits, this film spotlights an inspiring woman who has created a career many dream of and has stood up for herself and women everywhere. As if you couldn’t love her any more, the final message that appears on screen is that Carroll intends to create a foundation for women with any money she receives from her court wins. She’s an example of someone who fully deserves a documentary, making “Ask E. Jean” a must-see.
