Ask Dr. Ruth

Released May 3, 2019

1h 40m

Documentary

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93%

84 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

As her 90th birthday approaches, Dr. Ruth Westheimer reflects on her painful past. A survivor of the Holocaust, her career path leads her to the forefront of the sexual revolution, making her America's most famous sex therapist.

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Critics Consensus

Like its subject, Ask Dr. Ruth has a breezy charm that's hard to resist -- and a message that's as important as it is entertaining.

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Audience Member

I already knew of one irreplaceable and important Ruth in our world, that being Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Now, I know of another! You've heard of Dr Phil, but chances are you haven't heard of Dr Ruth! It is impossible to not immediately fall for this ambitious, quirky and gorgeous 90 year-old sex therapist. That is before we learn of her childhood as a Holocaust survivor, making her and her story beyond inspiration. Ask Dr Ruth is a wonderful documentary feature.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Audience Member

I'm so glad I saw this great movie - what an amazing, remarkable woman! And so down-to-earth.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

Tour de force of a personality deserve a tribute to her life.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/19

Full Review

john s

THE S WORD It's time for the talk. You know, the, talk. Thanks to a tiny, pepper pot, ex-sniper and now media darling personality since 1980, North America can now converse sensically whilst employing previously taboo words like, wait for it: orgasm! Whew. Now 91, Dr. Ruth continues her tireless campaign to make everyone comfortable with sex by talking about it with a stark openness that, because it is delivered by someone who looks like grandma, elicits everything from awe, to shock, to giggles, to inspiration. No secret there, that's just perfect film fodder, but what this well paced doc does offer is a combination of her astounding history, her unrelenting workaholic pace, and why they are connected. As a jewish girl at the outbreak of World War Two, Karola Ruth Siegel was whisked off from her native Germany to a Swiss orphanage, never to see her parents again. Her remarkable journey from that bleak beginning to her celebrity status, is a riveting one. "Ask Dr. Ruth" follows, at a good pace, Dr. Ruth as she scampers from one event to another, pausing for some historic tidbits and reflection. Westheimer is all business though, even when discovering some long buried secrets, or visiting childhood friends. She is Dr. Ruth, the sparky, perky dynamo we see on television, and one of the most important voices for women who avoids the feminist tag. What's not to love? Dr. Ruth will be at the upcoming October 21st screening at the venerable Mayfair Theatre. Maybe she'll answer some saucy questions. - hipCRANK

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

dave d

Despite going by in a breeze, 'Ask Dr. Ruth' wasn't as effervescent as woman herself. One pet peeve that took me out of the movie. Ruth claims she grew up very poor, yet we have plenty of home videos of her. As someone who grew up in the middle class in the 1980s, I can tell you that video cameras were not something most could afford then let alone in the 1950s and 60s. To have that much footage and be "poor" didn't resonate. So, considering how reluctant Ruth is to talk about certain topics, how much are we really getting to know our subject? I take people to 'Gilbert" about Gilbert Gottfried. There you had an unvarnished look into a person. This is a surface, albeit entertaining, perhaps a 'Dr. Ruth for Dummies' version of the documentary I'd like to see. This is about the most the director, Ryan White, could have plucked out of the movie. Final Score: 6.6/10

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

That frigging inspirational background music just ruined the movie.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Ryan White

Director

Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Self

Jonathan Capehart

Self

Ari Einleger

Self

Leora Einleger

Self

Pierre Lehu

Self

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Ask Dr. Ruth: Trailer 1

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Tre'vell Anderson

Out Magazine

Dr. Ruth's life story is remarkable and worthy of Oscar-bait dramatization. Until then, the worthy gift that Ask Dr. Ruth is will do.

Feb 10, 2020

Full Review

Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

She is good at deflecting those who want to pry and that's a problem for the film. If we're going to go 100 minutes with this remarkable old lady, a little depth is pretty much required.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 4, 2019

Full Review

Maureen Lee Lenker

Entertainment Weekly

Whether it's Ruth reflecting on the details of her three marriages with her characteristic frankness or her family unpacking her political stances, it offers up insight into a woman who helped so many others truly know themselves.

Rated: B

May 31, 2019

Full Review

Jason Adams

The Film Experience

A personality-based crowd-pleaser

Jul 2, 2021

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Yasmin Omar

Harper's Bazaar

As a work of documentary film-making, Ask Dr Ruth does not rewrite the rulebook, and yet it is still a stirring portrait of courage in the face of adversity.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 25, 2021

Full Review

Matt Cipolla

Film Monthly

Come to think of it, Ask Dr. Ruth isn't really a portrait or a deep dive of her legacy. It's two solid movies smushed together.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 27, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

As her 90th birthday approaches, Dr. Ruth Westheimer reflects on her painful past. A survivor of the Holocaust, her career path leads her to the forefront of the sexual revolution, making her America's most famous sex therapist.

Director: Ryan White
Producer: Lirit Rosenzweig-Topaz
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures, Hulu
Production Co: Delirio Films, Tripod Media, LLC
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 3, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $296.1K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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