Gloria Allred must be the second most-hated woman in America among right-wingers. No, maybe third. First Hillary Clinton, then Nancy Pelosi, then famed feminist attorney Gloria Allred. Indeed the Netflix documentary that premiered at Sundance was a detailed trip into America's second wave of feminism. But directors Roberta Grossman and Sophie Sartain did a first rate job of bringing Allred to life as a living, breathing woman -- although not one very different from the tough cookie we see in press conferences about an accuser of Donald Trump, Roy Moore, Bill Cosby and more.

The film does an excellent job of telling Allred's story as a young Philadelphia mother and teacher. We think of Allred as a prominent feminist but her activists roots sprouted in Watts, when she moved to LA at age 25 with her 5-year-old daughter Lisa Bloom and took a job teaching here.

She met William Allred, her second ex-husband, about whom she speaks little. They were married for 19 years and he is presented as being very supportive and encouraging of Gloria's development as an attorney. Before their divorce and bitterly contested financial settlement, William Allred went to federal prison with three other men employed by his North Hollywood aircraft parts company. They were convicted of defrauding the US government.

What Gloria Allred does discuss, reservedly, is being raped at gunpoint in 1966 on vacation in Mexico, by a doctor who she accompanied to the hospital for his rounds. The rape resulted in an illegal abortion that almost killed her, putting her in the hospital with a 106-degree temperature and infection.

Gloria Allred (r) and daughter Lisa Bloom (l)

I found it thought-provoking to watch Gloria Allred as an activist who thrives on the fight. While she is portrayed as a highly-committed activist who refuses to back off, there is no attempt to downplay Allred's reputation for being a ferocious, committed, adept bulldog when she spars with men. Most women avoid brass balls conflict, but Allred doesn't flinch; in fact, she rises to the occasion.

Writing for MarieClaire.com, Esther Zuckerman has a reaction similar to mine around Allred's cultivated, combative personality.

"I decided it was important to be fearless, and people needed to know that I have a passion for justice, this is my path, and we need to speak truth to power. In order to speak truth to power we need to be fearless," she says, adding that while boldness is in her blood, she never thought of herself in that way initially.

"It wasn't that hard because I think I don't have the fear gene in my body and neither did my mother. I don't think my daughter has it, nor does my granddaughter have it. My granddaughter's also an attorney. And then I realized that I wasn't just acting as a fearless attorney, I at some point realized: That's who I am."

Like so many of us, Gloria Allred was crushed over Hillary's loss and the rise of Donald Trump. Post election, Gloria is front and center at the Women's March, where angry male counterprotesters yelling at her suggesting she doesn't believe in God.

Allred knows well that the "feminists are Satan" mantra thrives in Trumplandia. And she carries a metaphorical can of RAID wherever she goes, to rid us of these spineless misogynists who behave like entitled cockroaches. ~ Anne

Related: 'Hello, I'm Attorney Gloria Allred' by Los Angeles Magazine *****