Movie

Citizen Ruth

1996 · 104 min

A wry, uncomfortable satire that makes you squirm and laugh at the same time, watching everyone exploit one messy woman.

Directed by: Alexander Payne
Genres: Drama, Comedy
Starring: Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith

Tagline: Life, liberty, money and the pursuit of happiness. She's gotta have it.
Overview: "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.

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Directed by: Alexander Payne
Genres: Drama, Comedy
Starring: Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith

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How it feels

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Tone: satiricalstrength 3 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
absurdstrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 2 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: class
politics
media
addiction
morality
Places: small town
suburbs
countryside
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language strong
Violence mild
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	2
Horror	1
Humour	7
Realism	8
Romance	1
Tension	5
Darkness	7
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	6

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Where to watch in the UK

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Details

Genres: drama, comedy
Directed by: Alexander Payne
Written by: Jim Taylor, Alexander Payne
Starring: Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kelly Preston, M.C. Gainey, Kenneth Mars, David Graf
Music: Rolfe Kent
Cinematography: James Glennon
Runtime: 104 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English

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Citizen Ruth

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