Citizen Ruth (1996)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers (WGA):

Alexander Payne (written by) &
Jim Taylor (written by)

Release Date:

13 December 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Life, liberty, money and the pursuit of happiness. She's gotta have it.

Plot:

An unintelligent, drug-addicted, recently impregnated woman finds herself in the middle of an abortion debate when both parties attempt to sway her to their side.

Plot Keywords:

Abortion | Prayer | Lesbian | Satire | Huffing

Awards:

4 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Laura Dern	...	Ruth Stoops
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Diane Siegler
Kurtwood Smith	...	Norm Stoney
Mary Kay Place	...	Gail Stoney
Kelly Preston	...	Rachel
M.C. Gainey	...	Harlan
Kenneth Mars	...	Dr. Charlie Rollins
David Graf	...	Judge Richter
Kathleen Noone	...	Nurse Pat
Tippi Hedren	...	Jessica Weiss
Burt Reynolds	...	Blaine Gibbons
Lance Rome	...	Ricky, Ruth's Lover
Jim Kalal	...	Tony Stoops
Shea Degan	...	Arresting Officer
Vince Morelli	...	Dr. George

Also Known As:

Meet Ruth Stoops
Precious (USA) (working title)
The Devil Inside (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for substance abuse, strong language and a sex scene.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (FotoKem)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:MA | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 | USA:R | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

3216 1st Avenue, Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA

Company:

Independent Pictures (II)

Trivia:

The "ASK ME" pin worn by Kurtwood Smith in the hardware store shows up again in Alexander Payne's following film, Election (1999).

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Ruth is going out to party with her host family's daughter, she takes a hit from a bong, but does so incorrectly, not clearing the smoke from the chamber.

Quotes:

Ruth: I'm gonna stay here. and I'm gonna have that abortion like I wanted. 'Cause I'm a citizen and... and I got my rights to, um, PICK!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

Underrated Gem

In the wake of the huge success "Sideways" is garnering lately, everyone should look back at this incredible film from Alexander Payne, which shows off everything he and writing partner Jim Taylor are best at- the dark skewering of small-town America, rich with satire and heart. I had seen all of Payne's films except this one, and although I really loved all of them, this may be his most fully realized. This is probably because his targets are hit exactly dead-on, and the absurdity of the situations are in fact, achingly real. Laura Dern gives a wonderful and unflinching portrayal of Ruth, and the rest of the cast, especially Swoosie Kurtz, Mary Kay Place, and in a small role, Burt Reynolds, are exceptional as the targets of Payne's satire. Payne fills his films with little details of small-town life, and here they add so much to the point of the story. Take for example the grace that Kurtwood Smith's character gives, which is barely heard because of the roaring plane overhead. It is these details that are the crux of a story like this. So as "Sideways" continues to claim many awards (and rightfully so), I urge you to check out this earlier film from Payne, and experience a brilliant little film, and one of the gutsiest movies you may ever see.