Citizen Ruth

R

Released Dec 13, 1996

1 hr. 44 min.

Comedy

List

81%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

"Citizen Ruth" is the story of Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern), a woman who nobody even noticed -- until she got pregnant. Now, everyone wants a piece of her. The film is a comedy about one woman caught in the ultimate tug-of-war: a clash of wild, noisy, ridiculous people that rapidly dissolves into a media circus.

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Critics Consensus

Smart and sharply funny, Citizen Ruth is an entertaining look at a tough subject -- and an impressive calling card for debuting director/co-writer Alexander Payne.

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Jorge C

Jamás pense ver a Laura Dern de esa manera.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

Full Review

Steve D

I am not sure what it is trying to be but it fails.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A movie about a woman who struggles with addiction and just found to be pregnant in a small town. She faces the conflicting pressures between pro life and pro choice groups. The movie chooses to sit in between these two movements, and in a satirical way, equating them. It's full of interesting and quirky characters that brighten the movie. In the end the insinuation that no one really cares about this girl, and likewise she doesn't care about anyone else. The movie is generally flat, perhaps for lacking a string point of view. It's neither here nor there.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Citizen ruthful or ruthless? Laura Dern, the late Burt Reynolds, the late Kelly Preston, and Tippi Hedren in Alexander Payne's directorial debut Dern is Ruth Stoops, a troubled young woman who's had several pregnancies and never claimed any of the children She's been arrested 16 times and her kids were seized each time Her only solace is getting high on spray paint fumes being declared mentally unstable She's very self-destructive to herself and to others Once the court gives her a felony charge endangering her most recent fetus the judge gives her the choice of abortion for a reduced sentence Then it all becomes a tug of war of sorts when Ruth becomes a media sensation; she's caught i between members of pro-choice activism and Evangelicals What makes this interesting is the film being an equal-opportunity offender" film, and why the recent Texas abortion ban lends its fresh relevance Some things are more important than money, sending a message might be bigger than our pride or selfishness, a woman should have her choice to consider, everyone is so caught up in their own horrors, opinions, and judgement Dern gives one of the best performances of her career and there's plenty of black satire When it comes to the ending it's still an on-going debate Yeah the movie lacks a sharp point of view but the viewer can still laugh off taking aim at the subject's irreverence A good but not great start for Alexander Payne taking a bite out of politics

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Never had never watch a movie so stupid & worthless stupid lucky bitch just having kids and is a drug addicted.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Pitch perfect satire that leaves no side unscathed. Definitely a prime Female Anxiety Movie. Ruth is caught in the middle of a tug-of-war of lofty ideals, but the movie itself thankfully never abandons her - I felt strangely touched by the scene where she's about to get into the helicopter and then screams at her mother about being molested as a child. It was done as an almost comedy beat but the impact was more of an "oh shit" moment. She's a pretty terrible person but at least she has reasons for it. She's far more realistic than the caricature she's painted by both the freaky fundamentalists and the granola pro-choicers. The only downside to watching this movie is having to sit through the same arguments we've heard ad nauseum for decades. The second the movie hunkers down in the trenches it becomes pretty predictable... which isn't to say it's not enjoyable, but like you just gotta be in the mood to want to get angry about politics if you watch this. Oh and Laura Dern is perfection.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

Full Review

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Alexander Payne

Director

Laura Dern

Ruth Stoops

Swoosie Kurtz

Diane

Kurtwood Smith

Norm Stoney

Mary Kay Place

Gail Stoney

Kelly Preston

Rachel

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Globe and Mail

Rated: 2/4

Apr 12, 2002

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Rated: 1/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Tomas Hachard

Esquire Magazine

The movie's most charming characteristic is, in fact, its irreverence: It bears the tell-tale signs of a young director taking aim at, and then laughing off, the absurdities of the world he grew up in.

Oct 17, 2018

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Uncharacteristically of Payne, the film lacks a sharp point of view, unfloding as a series of gigs (some quite funny), trying to be too fair--for a satire--to both sides of the abortion issue.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 1, 2006

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 4/5

Jan 6, 2006

Full Review

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Synopsis

"Citizen Ruth" is the story of Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern), a woman who nobody even noticed -- until she got pregnant. Now, everyone wants a piece of her. The film is a comedy about one woman caught in the ultimate tug-of-war: a clash of wild, noisy, ridiculous people that rapidly dissolves into a media circus.

Director: Alexander Payne
Screenwriter: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax Films
Rating: R (Substance Abuse|Strong Language|Sex Scene)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 14, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $278.5K
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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