Citizen Ruth (released on December 13, 1996) charges onto the screen as a razor-sharp, uncompromising satire that fearlessly skewers the ideological extremes of modern American culture wars. Directed by Alexander Payne in his feature directorial debut, the story centers on Ruth Stoops (Laura Dern), an irresponsible, glue-sniffing vagrant in Omaha, Nebraska, who discovers she is pregnant with her fifth child.
Having already lost custody of her four previous children due to severe substance abuse and neglect, Ruth is brought before a judge who offers her a lighter prison sentence if she agrees to terminate the pregnancy.
Word of the judge’s controversial proposal quickly leaks, turning Ruth into an unwitting pawn in a ferocious national abortion debate.
She is initially taken in by a fervently pro-life family led by Norm (Kurtwood Smith) and Gail Stoddard (Mary Kay Place), who treat her as a trophy for their cause while trying to force her into spiritual reform.
However, Ruth is soon secretly spirited away by pro-choice activists led by Diane (Swoosie Kurtz) and her partner Rachel (Kelly Preston).
As the rivalry escalates, national figures like pro-life leader Dale Swain (Burt Reynolds), zealous anti-abortion crusader Dr. Charlie Clegg (Kenneth Mars), and wealthy donor Jessica Weiss (Tippi Hedren) descend on the town, offering Ruth huge cash bribes – alongside support from Diane’s rebellious daughter Cheryl (Alicia Witt) – to manipulate her final choice.
Uninterested in political ideology, Ruth simply wants the money, exposing the self-righteous hypocrisy of both sides.
M.C. Gainey, David Graf, and Dianne Ladd round out the supporting cast.
Laura Dern in Citizen Ruth (Photo/Miramax)
Reception for Citizen Ruth
Citizen Ruth grossed $26,709 on its opening weekend, finishing 16th in limited release across six screens. The top film of the week was Jerry Maguire, which earned $17.1 million on its debut weekend.
The film would gross $285,212 in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave Citizen Ruth three out of four stars in his review.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1996.
Legacy
Citizen Ruth‘s legacy stands as a bold, landmark achievement in 1990s independent cinema, announcing Alexander Payne and co-writer Jim Taylor as premier satirists of contemporary American life.
Rather than taking a comfortable moral stance, the feature dared to lampoon the fanatical righteousness of ideological zealots while treating its deeply flawed protagonist with raw, unsentimental authenticity.
Dern’s astonishing, uninhibited performance as Ruth Stoops won widespread critical acclaim and remains one of the finest, most courageous turns of her career.
Retro film lovers and satire enthusiasts celebrate Citizen Ruth as a timeless, exceptionally prescient comedy that remains as strikingly relevant, funny, and biting today as it was upon its debut.
