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Citizen Ruth - DVD

SKU: 5166731 | Release Date: 4/8/2003

Rating: R for Brief Nudity, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Profanity, Substance Abuse (Alcohol, Drugs)

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Rating: R for Brief Nudity, Not For Children, Adult Humor, Profanity, Substance Abuse (Alcohol, Drugs)
Format: DVD
Theatrical Release: 1996
Length: 105 minutes
Screen Formats: Enhanced Widescreen for 16x9 TV
Genre: General Comedies
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Synopsis

The divisive issue of abortion is at the center of Citizen Ruth, a political satire that attempts to subject both pro-choice and pro-life forces to equal ridicule. Laura Dern portrays Ruth Stoops, an irresponsible, unemployed woman who's addicted to inhaling household chemicals and has becomes pregnant, for the fifth time. After she is arrested for substance abuse, the judge offers to lessen her sentence if Ruth chooses to abort her child. Ruth agrees, but that night she encounters a group of pro-life activists. They take her under their wing, promising to help her, while secretly planning to make her case public as a symbol for the pro-life movement . When Ruth discovers the deception, she takes refuge with a pro-choice group, sparking a media frenzy. Yet Ruth soon finds her new friends are also only interested in her value as a media icon. Realizing she has been used as a pawn in the abortion rights battle, the apolitical Ruth turns the tables, offering to join whoever will give her the best deal. What results is a frantic, comedic session of wheeling-dealing which argues that activists on both sides have become more concerned with waging political warfare than helping women. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Version Details

Languages/Sound

Eng/Fre

Screen Formats

Enhanced Widescreen for 16x9 TV

Subtitle Languages

Eng

Additional Features

cc Theatrical trailer Feature commentary with director and screenwriter Alexander Payne, screenwriter Jim Taylor, production designer Jane Ann Stewart and actress Laura Dern

Chapters

Side #1 --
1. Opening Credits: Nowhere to Go [6:17]
2. Waking the Tin Man [3:36]
3. Sorry! [3:23]
4. A Call to God [3:12]
5. Clean and Pretty [5:15]
6. An Old Familiar Sound [3:44]
7. "Party?" [2:31]
8. Right as Rain [6:58]
9. It's Them [3:31]
10. Car! [3:39]
11. The Devil Inside [5:18]
12. This Is a War [5:13]
13. Clash by Night [5:36]
14. Moon Mother [4:02]
15. National Alert [6:03]
16. Charitable Offers [4:54]
17. The Outrage of It All [2:46]
18. Eric's Story [5:36]
19. Rising Action [5:32]
20. Ruth Sees a Way [5:06]
21. Tanya on the Move [4:35]
22. God Calls Back [5:02]
23. End Credits [3:29]

Cast

Diane Ladd - Ruth's mother
Swoosie Kurtz - Diane
Kenneth Mars - Dr. Charlie
Kelly Preston - Rachel
Burt Reynolds - Blaine Gibbons
Mary Kay Place - Gail
Caveh Zahedi
Laura Dern - Ruth Stoops
Kurtwood Smith - Norm
M.C. Gainey - Harlan
David Graf - Judge Richter
Tippi Hedren - Jessica Weiss
Alicia Witt - Cheryl
Kathleen Noone - Pat

Crew

Costume Designer: Tom McKinley
Director: Alexander Payne
Screenwriter: Alexander Payne
Sound/Sound Designer: Jay Patterson
Production Designer: Jane Ann Stewart
Casting: Lisa Beach
Producer: Cary Woods
Composer (Music Score): Rolfe Kent
Producer: Cathy Konrad
Cinematographer: James Glennon
First Assistant Director: Jim Taylor
Screenwriter: Jim Taylor
Editor: Kevin Trent
First Assistant Director: Heather Kritzer
Co-producer: Andrew Stone

Citizen Ruth: AMG Review
Derek Armstrong , AMG

Although little-seen, Citizen Ruth introduced the film world to one of its best new satirists: director Alexander Payne, whose follow-up, Election (1999), won raves for skewering high school politics (indeed, the entire American political system) with dead-on finesse. No less ambitious in his debut, Payne goes after the abortion debate with rawness and vigor, shrewdly refusing to favor either camp. Instead, he exposes the transparent agendas of both sides, getting terrific help from Laura Dern, who plays Ruth Stoops with impressive disregard for audience sympathy. Strung out and utterly amoral, Dern's Ruth is a heroine typical of Payne's caustic wit -- in a landscape devoid of good-hearted impulses, this is the person left to support. It's a courageously unlikable and funny performance by Dern, and she's surrounded by character actors (Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Swoosie Kurtz, and even Burt Reynolds) who inhabit their aggressive personality types with relish. What's remarkable about Payne's light touch is that he can craft a totally unsentimental film filled with soulless characters and still manage to leave the viewer feeling kind of bouncy and fulfilled. Citizen Ruth is a strong debut from a bright new talent. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide

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Citizen Ruth - DVD

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Citizen Ruth - DVD

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Synopsis

Version Details

Cast

Crew

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Community

Product Support

Credit Cards

Reward Zone® Program

Corporate Info

More Best Buy Sites

Need help? We're available 24/7 at 1-888-BEST BUY (1-888-237-8289)