With her blond hair, trademark eyeglasses, and unapologetic preference for men, Gloria Steinem has not only been one of feminism's most prominent and outspoken proponents but also one of its most glamorous. This Lifetime Intimate Portrait takes viewers back to Steinem's decidedly unglamorous Ohio childhood, during which she was forced to care for her mentally ill mother after her father left them. That early responsibility, coupled with grinding poverty, prepared her for her lifetime battle to improve the lives of women. The never-married Steinem, now in her 60s, gamely tells much in this 43-minute documentary, narrated by actress Goldie Hawn. She is aided in the recounting of her story by her older sister and sister feminists--including Marlo Thomas, as well as former beaus. Her abortion, prefeminist sojourn in India as a Mahatma Gandhi follower, short stint as an undercover journalist/Playboy bunny, and long battle to keep Ms. magazine solvent all get fair play as this biography explores the makings of one of feminism's most important figures. --Kimberly Heinrichs
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