Citizen Ruth
Tags: dark, satire

Plot synopsis:
The movie opens with Ruth Stoops and a man (apparently an ex-boyfriend) having intercourse on a bed in a flophouse, after which he disrespectfully throws her out of the apartment. She later goes to a hardware store to buy patio sealant and huffs it in a paper bag in an alley to get high. Ruth is portrayed as a dumb, inebriated addict, capable of doing nearly anything to get money or drugs.
Ruth has 4 kids, all of whom have been taken from her custody by the state because of her inability to care for them (or even for herself). Her kids are scattered among three different homes. Ruth goes to the home of her brother and sister-in-law to sneak a look at two of her kids and to beg her brother for money.
After Ruth is arrested for her continuing drug use, she learns that she is pregnant again. At her arraignment, she learns to her horror that she is facing felony charges; her many earlier arrests had all been on misdemeanor charges. The judge, who knows of the situation with Ruth's other offspring, suggests to her after the hearing that he will deal with her less harshly if she has an abortion. Through a chance encounter with a group of jailed abortion protesters, Ruth soon finds herself at the center of an escalating battle between people on both sides of the abortion issue. Both sides engage in deceitful tactics to influence Ruth's decision. The pro-life people run a fake abortion clinic, where they actually seek to dissuade patients from receiving the advertised service. The pro-choice people have "spies" in the pro-life group who spirit Ruth away.
Both sides offer incentives into the thousands of dollars to the hapless and exhilarated woman to secure her promise that she keep or abort the child. Dollar-conscious Ruth rampantly encourages the bidding. She becomes the object of a local news and political obsession; a figure of the media who all want to know: Will she or won't she have an abortion?
On the day Ruth is to receive her abortion, she suffers a miscarriage. Going along with the pretense of having the abortion, she proceeds to the clinic to collect $15,000 that has been left there for her by one of the security guards of the clinic who believes in personal freedom. He has personally given her the money, free of organizational sponsorship, to match the bid given by the Pro-Life group, so that she can make her decision without the influence of money. She then breaks out of the clinic by dropping a toilet tank cover on a guard's head and walks by oblivious protesters on both sides. Even though she'd been on the TV news for weeks, none of the picketers on either side pay any attention to her actual presence. Finally standing up, she runs away down the street.
A running joke in the movie is a "Success in Finance"-type tape produced by an Amway-type company. Ruth takes the tape and studies it to determine what to do with her newfound money.

Review: Payne will undoubtably move on to make compelling films in the future that take advantage of higher budgets, etc., but "Citizen Ruth" deserves a place amongst the best first features in any genre..
The pro-life are showed as religious fanatics and narrow-minded persons, the deranged family who lodges Ruth has a the father with sexual attraction in Laura and the mother a fanatic who does not see the behavior of her own daughter.
An outstanding work  the consummate Indie.A great, little satire that manages to make you identify with a homeless, hopeless druggie.Laura Dern is perfect as the indigent & insatiable "Ruth".
She brings an engaging hidden-beauty to the part, and with the help of Alexander Payne's brilliant direction, she nimbly walks the wire between comical hero and tragic pariah.This gem clearly demonstrates that, even though the production budget may be lower than a republican's principles - when great talent and artistic enthusiasm couple, a work of genius is likely to be born.Cheers, AB  a staff member of Prospect Point Productions, Inc..
You will not be disappointed."Citizen Ruth" is the story of a woman, Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern could not have been a better choice for this role), who has spent her difficult life making a lot of bad choices.
When she finds herself pregnant yet again, with no intention of giving up the model airplane glue and spray paint she regularly huffs, the judge makes it clear that with all of her previous run-ins with the legal system, Ruth had better "take care of the problem" or face serious charges.When the local pro-life group, the Babysavers (Kurtwood Smith was another excellent choice to play the leader of this group) catches wind of the judge's comments, they set out to save Ruth and her unborn child.
Ruth's naivete makes her easy for both sides to manipulate, and neither pro-life nor pro-choice winds up looking very good.The ending to this movie is not, in my opinion, as predictable as it seems, and it really gives you something to think about - what is "life" and how much (both in material and ethereal terms) is it worth, particularly when it's placed in the hands of somebody who is in such poor control of her or his own?
The title character of "Citizen Ruth" (Dern), an indigent and pregnant fume-head with a potty mouth and bad attitude, finds herself the unwitting cause of a clash of pro-choice and pro-abortion activists in this bitingly satirical look at the abortion issue in America.
Dern makes an excellent centerpiece for this award winning comedy which mocks both sides of the life/choice controversy with a vanguard of comic stereotypes.
Like all good movies, it is not really about the subject at hand - in this case, the abortion issue - but about something deeper and more far reaching.
"Citizen Ruth" is about people who get so devoted to a cause they think important to humanity that they forget to consider actual human beings.Of course, the unavoidable problem with a movie such as this is that almost all of the characters are unsympathetic.
He sees Ruth as a person, albeit a diminished one, and is willing to give her what she really wants (money) in order to, as he says, level the playing field, even though he knows she will squander it in a matter of days and tells her so.
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.
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.
In what has got to be one of Laura Dern's most interesting roles, she plays indigent drug addict Ruth Stoops, ordered to have an abortion at the risk of damaging her unborn fetus.
But abortion rights activists also see Ruth as a rallying call.Like "Thank You for Smoking", "Citizen Ruth" shows the hypocrisy of both sides in a controversial topic, as they both want to use an individual for their own ends.
Through a BEING THERE-ish chain of circumstances, Ruth finds herself in the hands of a family of Baby Savers (Payne's version of Operation Rescue), and then a squadron of mostly lesbian, bourgeois, goddess-worshiping, Frida-Kahlo-T-shirt-wearing pro-choice activists.
There were humorous moments within the film thanks to the witty scriptwriting, but this serves as added depth to the characters of a film which is otherwise much more important than a simple story, but instead highlights the socio-economic problems facing us in the modern world, and for the most part does so with grim reality.Rent this out on DVD expecting laughs or a straightforward story and you're likely to be disappointed - instead watch the film for what it is - a superbly acted drama provoking discussions on important issues..
Before writer/director Alexander Payne was making deep, intimate pictures centered around eccentric humans playing a little game called "Life," he was concocting explosive satires, bursting at the seams with originality and charm.
They will provide her with everything she could need, including protection from the media, so long as she doesn't give into the abortion.The remainder of the film centers around the asinine attention the media pays to Ruth and her "family," and how she may be forcefully committed to one side because of their obnoxious manipulation.What is truly amazing, however, is how Citizen Ruth manages to perfectly keep a centrist viewpoint, showing both sides at their utmost ridiculous.
From watching this, we can sort of believe that Payne's view on the entire abortion issue is simplified to something along the lines of, "both sides are equally right and equally bizarre."Dern here is spectacularly, embodying a character void of any likability traits and sophistication as a whole.
While it may not be the most complete film out there, or even one of the funniest satires (especially when you put to along side Election, Payne's sophomore effort), it still is a reasonable compliment to say that Citizen Ruth does a splendid job of keeping a film about a controversial issue neutral and viable throughout its runtime.Starring: Laura Dern, Kurtwood Smith, and Mary Kay Place.
After watching it over 20 times I still see small real things, like when the Judge asked to see Ruth in his office, he pushed to door shut, and immediately, for his own protection, opened it a crack before telling her "If you want to see a doctor while in jail...you can go".
He was slick too, for at the end he made Ruth the "bad guy" and was able to keep the pro-choice and baby savers evenly balanced, not giving way to either.
"Citizen Ruth" satirizes the opposing sides in the abortion debate, as both focus on the case of a homeless, drug-addicted pregnant woman who has been charged with abusing her fetus by her constant inhaling of anything in an aerosol can.
Ruth is played with psychotic charm by Laura Dern, who has the courage not to try softening an unsympathetic character, and it is her performance that carries the film, long after the story has revealed itself.
And before Ruth really understands what is happening to her, she suddenly finds herself in the middle of a "war" between the Babysavers and a group that supports abortion...Most actors in this movie did a very good job, but personally I liked Laura Dern's performance most.
'Citizen Ruth' may lack the viciousness and poignancy of his later and particularly best work, when Payne had properly found his feet and fine-tuned his style, hence why it is not rated as highly as much as them, but his talent for directing and writing for so early on is very much evident.The film is notable for handling a very difficult subject matter (abortion), but uniquely not taking sides and shows both sides of the argument rather than making a judgement on whether it's good or bad.
You get the impression to start with it's this heavy drama with difficult themes and an atmosphere too realistic that the film could really be considered 'entertaining'; interesting, but rather almost like an informative piece on grave contemporary social issues.Then I remembered the label 'comedy', remembered the pleasant-looking poster and thought there was a problem there.
The film turns into a parody of its own theme and does it quite seamlessly, like as it progresses the story naturally exposes its ridiculous nature, that being the ridiculous caricature-like nature of human beings in their quest for interest and self-promotion.There are two sides and both are so caught up in their battle against the opponent they lose sight of the very subject (and person) they got involved with in the first place.The ending is very pleasantly casual and spontaneous and terribly dense with meaning without ever spelling it out whatsoever.
The displaced good intentions there are nothing compared to the ideological thicket that Ruth wanders into after her case becomes a national battleground for pro- and anti-abortion groups.Citizen Ruth, the feature debut of definitive contemporary film wit Alexander Payne, a filmmaker of rare intelligence who's on the short list of American directors with final cut rights for their films, is a satire with the reckless courage to take on both sides in the abortion debate.
There are no positive characters in the film, certainly not Ruth, whose preferred state is oblivion, and who perks up only when both sides start making cash offers.
They organize for Ruth to have an abortion, however already the Baby Savers have issued a national alert, the network crews are camped out in the parking lot, and the national leaders for both sides have flown into Tulsa to make their stands.Shot in Nebraska just like Payne's exceedingly brilliant subsequent films Election and About Schmidt, Payne has a good eye for the character qualities of fanatics with the compulsion to control other people's lives.
I have misgivings that the two sides in the debate would in reality undertake a bidding war, but that's what satire is for: To take reality and broaden it into farce.The movie sheds light on the ways in which mainstream films condition us to count on formula endings.
While not as good as Election, Citizen Ruth is still a good film about the insanity of the abortion debate.
One of the best political satires to deal with the extremely volatile subject of abortion, first time director Alexander Payne gave a powerhouse first film to his repertoire with this bitterly acid black comedy.
I have seen Laura Dern in a few movies, but none that really showed her ability as this one.The was an outrageously funny abortion satire and she really shined as the huffer that gets pregnant and is the pawn of both sides in the fight over a fetus.
Both sides - pro-choice and anti-abortion - were made fun of in this film.
She sees money as a solution to all her problems, and Dern plays up her ignorance in a manner that is well worth watching.Burt Reynolds and Tippi Hedren play the national leaders on both sides of the abortion war.
One leaves the room after watching Alexander Payne's 1996 satire about the not-so-funny abortion debate quite entertained, though the film fails to hide its bias, as it so fervently tries.Ruth, a "huffer," and drug addict, having been arrested for substance abuse sixteen times in the past year, is charged with child endangerment.
The audience is forced to be apathetic of the title character, Ruth (played by the irritatingly enjoyable Laura Dern), who obviously cares about nothing besides what she needs at the given moment.
The only real protagonist in the film is the secondary character, Harlan (played by M.C. Gainey), who is the only one that really cares about Ruth's "personal freedom and choice," and shows this -- quite expensively -- through his actions.
Laura Dern's lead character is very comical and although her shenanigans become unbearable by the end of the film, Dern still gives an enjoyable performance as a ludicrously senseless Ruth.
First things first, if you're pro-life or pro-abortion you probably won't like this film.
Excellent satire, clever script (of course, Jim Taylor and Alexander Payne wrote it), and a truly funny performance by Laura Dern.
I believe Citizen Ruth, which satirizes both sides of the abortion debate, is one of the best films of the 90's.
Laura Dern is perfect as the angry, drug-addicted and pregnant Ruth, who becomes a pawn in the political war between professional pro-life and pro-choice activists.
Soon Ruth is being offered money by both sides, to either have or abort her baby.
This perfectly illustrates the sharp separation that necessarily exists between causes and real life.One of the things I like about this movie is that Payne presents us with sincere activists, who make pretty good points for both sides.
It's kind of difficult to universally recommend a movie like Citizen Ruth, because of the subject matter.
Pro Life groups as well as Pro Abortion groups manipulate the girl in accepting their point of view with scheming tricks.Director Alexander Payne is known for his tongue in cheek stories and "Citizen Ruth" is no different.
That's the cliffhanger.Not the best Alexander Payne movie out there, but most certainly a charming and enlightening one, with still a very hot debated subject: abortion..
He might as well be saying "Why do we give women like Ruth the right to choose abortion?"  What he really is doing is playing the coward--throwing his hands up at the whole fight and not taking a stand.Payne also makes a bad choice in picking Laura Dern as Ruth.
Bizarre Tug-of-War. An irresponsible, drug-addicted, recently impregnated woman (Laura Dern) finds herself in the middle of an abortion debate when both parties attempt to sway her to their respective sides.Alexander Payne makes his directorial debut here.
I mean, it's more about them and their own psychosis than about that cause." You can completely see this as the thrust of the film, as there is never any clear argument for or against abortion, and both sides pushed to their extreme with Ruth in the middle not giving a hoot.Oh, and Burt Reynolds shows up..
Laura Dern's perfect performance as the glue-sniffing, alcoholic Ruth stands out in a movie full of great acting.
The timing is hopeless, the setups are way forced, the characters totally flaccid; and the most likely response would be extreme moral outrage from the usual suspects or frustrating boredom - or most likely both.The only good thing about this movie is that it demonstrates what a magnificent film ARSENIC & OLD LACE is, which handles a similarly controversial issue with a lot more panache and personality that this hack job can pull off..
In the meantime, the filmmakers themselves offer no clear position on the debate, which seems strangely wimpy and was no doubt done with an eye toward commercial appeal: "If nobody knows where we stand, we can draw in people from BOTH SIDES, each camp believing that we're making fun of the other!" Thankfully, the ploy failed and this movie sunk without a trace.The point is, if you're going to do satire, then you need to come at it from a particular point of view - otherwise, you're just taking random pot-shots.
And "random" is certainly a good description of this film - nowhere moreso than in the conception (no pun intended) of the title character, played by Laura Dern.
I suppose having someone completely despicable and amoral as your lead is at least one way to center a film like this (in effect saying, "Look how both sides are fighting their battle in the name of someone so unworthy - doesn't that make them both sick?") but it doesn't work because, if Ruth is meant to be a representative of some kind of middle position between the two warring camps, then humanity itself is in deep trouble.In fact, there IS no middle position in the abortion debate - you're either pro-life or pro-choice; it's one of the few absolute lightning-rod issues which still exist in American political life.
To try and make a film which sits somewhere in the center, tweaking both sides while showing allegiance to neither, is seriously wrong-headed (as proof, just note here how the filmmakers spinelessly get around the issue of whether Ruth does or does not decide to have an abortion - it's the kind of evasion which is insulting to an audience and an absolutely perfect example of weak-willed witlessness)..
Laura Dern is fantastic, though, as the title character, making the character believable.What impresses me most about the film, though, is it's message about abortion politics.
Essentially, Payne's commentary suggests that interest groups on both sides don't really identify with the people they claim to by fighting for; Ruth's interests as a person and her "choice" are undercut by rhetoric and high-minded principles that don't take her situation into account.
She's not always able to say what she feels, but she has human needs and she learns from her mistakes.CITIZEN RUTH is a great movie, and a real triumph for Laura Dern..
It doesn't surprise me that Alexander Payne said the movie isn't really about pro-life or pro-choice, but about fanaticism.
And watch out for those weird little shots, like the one where Laura Dern is checking out her leg in the bathtub, each time with the other eye closed.
The ending feels like a little triumph for Ruth because people are so wrapped up in the issue that she is ultimately unimportant, which is what she wants all along..
The movie gets its title from a scene where Ruth (Laura Dern) is telling a group, "I am a citizen, I have rights." In this movie it appears to be her right to either have her baby, or to have it aborted.