Just about two months ago I watched Alexander Payne’s Election, only my second Payne film after The Holdovers, and I absolutely loved it, becoming one of my new favorites. Just three years before Election, Alexander Payne released his debut feature Citizen Ruth, starring Laura Dern. Citizen Ruth is a satirical comedy of both sides of the abortion debate. With your stereotypical religious pro-lifers and your pro-choice liberals, you see both sides tear each other apart, using the pregnant Ruth Stoops as a facade to boost their political views. I thought Citizen Ruth was hilarious and its ideas remain ever so relevant today.
This film also has one of the greatest final shots of the 90s. As Ruth escapes the women’s health clinic with the $15,000 she was promised, she is undetectable amidst the mob of pro lifers and pro choicers who have been fighting over her throughout the whole film. A great take on how people with extreme political views care more about themselves and what they’re standing up for than the people it concerns the most. Ruth has been an unlikable character throughout the whole film, but as we see these people tear each other to shreds and abuse Ruth because of what they want, it makes her riding off into the sunset triumphant.
Just about two months ago I watched Alexander Payne’s Election, only my second Payne film after The Holdovers, and I absolutely loved it, becoming one of my new favorites. Just three years before Election, Alexander Payne released his debut feature Citizen Ruth, starring Laura Dern. Citizen Ruth is a satirical comedy of both sides of the abortion debate. With your stereotypical religious pro-lifers and your pro-choice liberals, you see both sides tear each other apart, using the pregnant Ruth Stoops as a facade to boost their political views. I thought Citizen Ruth was hilarious and its ideas remain ever so relevant today.
This film also has one of the greatest final shots of the 90s. As Ruth escapes the women’s health clinic with the $15,000 she was promised, she is undetectable amidst the mob of pro lifers and pro choicers who have been fighting over her throughout the whole film. A great take on how people with extreme political views care more about themselves and what they’re standing up for than the people it concerns the most. Ruth has been an unlikable character throughout the whole film, but as we see these people tear each other to shreds and abuse Ruth because of what they want, it makes her riding off into the sunset triumphant.
