PBS (Mon., Feb. 24, 9 p.m. ET)
Near the end of this hour-long American Experience entry, a journalist asserts that the birth-control pill did more for female equality than anything else in the 20th century. A sweeping statement, certainly, but this concise, informative documentary backs it up.
Filmmakers Chana Gazit and David Steward explore the science behind the oral contraceptive, the Catholic Church's adamant opposition to its use, the pill's empowering effects on women freed to enjoy sex and plan motherhood around career pursuits, and the side effects that can make it a danger as well as a boon. Briskly paced, The Pill is a short course that covers the subject admirably.
BOTTOM LINE: Prescribed viewing
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