"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.
Acting
Laura Dern's feral, committed performance is career-defining.
Writing
Payne and Taylor's script spares absolutely no one.
Direction
Payne's clinical eye finds humor in human grotesquerie.
Director
Alexander Payne
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Alexander Payne's feature debut, made for under $1 million and nearly shelved due to its abortion themes.
Released three years before the 2000 election, it predicted how single issues would consume political discourse.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
US
