the line 'suck the shit out of my ass you fucker!' deserved an oscar.
Cinemas
"Citizen Ruth" is the story of Ruth Stoops, 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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Cast & crew
6What people say
yeah i want to write a movie but an abortion satire where laura dern huffs patio sealant and punches a child has already been made so what's the point
This is Laura Dern's world and we're just blessed to be living in it.Alexander Payne's directorial debut shows exactly how much of a mess the abortion debate is, but keeps the heart of his film at the right place: it's all about how Ruth decides what she wants to do with her body. In regards to how he approaches such a topic, Payne doesn't take any prisoners - he shows you the pro-life people as they are, using their belief system as a means of claiming authority over another woman's body as well as manipulating the weak-willed.But I feel what makes Citizen Ruth so endearing is how the whole world seems to be so against Ruth's own sense of self-control, whether or not they're trying to help her. She wants to make a single choice that she knows will be for the betterment of her future, but both sides are also trying to claim the result of her choice as their means of proving themselves right. Amidst the hysteria, she just wants to live her life as a regular human being and not as a political tool.What a sad state of affairs.
Common questions
What is Citizen Ruth about?+
The film follows an irresponsible, drug-addicted woman who suddenly finds herself the focal point of a heated tug-of-war between abortion activists on both sides.
Who directed Citizen Ruth?+
Citizen Ruth was directed by Alexander Payne in 1996 and marks his feature-length directorial debut.
Is Citizen Ruth a comedy?+
It is a dark, biting satire that focuses on the absurdity of the media circus surrounding a polarizing political issue.
