Citizen Ruth

2003 • 105 minutes

About this movie

Meet Ruth Stoops. She's homeless, dumb as a cinder block and loves to get high huffing spray paint. Life would be dandy if it weren't for one tiny problem-she's gotten herself knocked up for the umpteenth time, and it seems like everybody's got an opinion about what she should do-from an angry judge to God-fearing Baby-Savers to radical lesbian feminists. And Ruth just wants to party! Laura Dern stars in an award-winning bravura performance backed by a stellar ensemble cast including Burt Reynolds, Mary Kay Place, Swoosie Kurtz, Kelly Preston, Kurtwood Smith and Tippi Hendren. Written and directed by the team who brought you Election and About Schmidt, Citizen Ruth is a hilarious, provocative look at what happens when a sperm meets an egg and sparks fly.

Ratings and reviews

Citizen Ruth, 1996. I’ve enjoyed every Alexander Payne film. However, this was the first time that I saw a writer/directors very first work after seeing all of his other movies that followed. A dark, campy satire about a chemical sniffing junkie who gets pregnant and then watches the pro-lifers and pro-choicers bid for her hazy decision.