Shelia Jacqueline Bisset is dispatched by her editor to her hometown, Boulder, Colorado, to cover the rising wave of the Women's Liberation movement, a topic he believes won’t invite conversation with men. The assignment sets the tone for a journey that blends newsroom cool with social upheaval, as Shelia begins to see through the stereotype that women involved in the movement won’t talk to men.
Back home, Shelia reconnects with her mother, Mabel [Anne Francine], and her sister, Karen [Lee Purcell], who are deeply invested in the movement. The two women throw themselves into organizing work, turning their living rooms and community spaces into hubs of discussion and action. Karen coordinates gatherings that draw together a diverse mix of participants—housewives, lesbians, sex workers, and women from a range of ethnic backgrounds—each with their own hopes and frustrations, all eager to be heard.
One pivotal thread in these meetings is the chance to hear expert voices. Karen brings in Dr. Joyce Brothers [Joyce Brothers] to speak to the group, offering perspectives on women’s roles, choices, and the pressures they face as they balance family life with personal ambitions. The talk fuels more conversations and propels several participants to reflect on their own identities and boundaries within the marriage and society at large.
Among the women inspired by these conversations are Hilary McBride [Loretta Swit], a weary housewife, and Yvonne Kellerman [Stella Stevens], a self-assured trophy wife. Their conversations grow bolder as they begin to articulate a desire for greater agency and respect, challenging the conventional expectations placed on them by their husbands and the world around them. The movement’s message spreads through intimate circles and public channels alike, turning private discontent into a visible call for change.
To amplify their voice, the women organize demonstrations under the rallying cry to Stand Up and Be Counted. They stage attention-grabbing actions that grab headlines and upset established norms, including a disruption at a Playboy conference featuring Playboy Spokesman [Michael Ansara] as part of a broader critique of how media and male power shape public perception of women.
Throughout these evolving events, the question of how the men in their lives will respond looms large. Some men begin to listen and engage with the shifting dynamics, while others resist or misunderstand the expectations being placed on them. Lou Kellerman [Héctor Elizondo] offers a pragmatic counterpoint, suggesting that men can try to adapt and participate in the dialogue, even as change remains difficult and uneven in the face of the era’s economic pressures.
Set against the backdrop of the 1970s, the story moves with a steady, observant pace, exploring how personal relationships, workplace realities, and public activism collide and coexist. It charts the tension between longing for equality and the practical constraints of recession-era life, inviting readers to consider what it means to claim one’s voice in a culture in mid-shift toward new social norms.
