Movie Description
Citizen Ruth is a 1996 American satirical black comedy film directed by Alexander Payne, in his directorial debut, and starring Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kenneth Mars, and Tippi Hedren. The film follows a poor, drug-addled, irresponsible pregnant woman who unexpectedly attracts national attention from those involved in the abortion debate.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1996. It later opened in limited release in the United States on December 13, 1996. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-times gave the film three stars out of four praising the film for its "reckless courage to take on both sides in the abortion debate" and for its "gallery of sharp-edged satiric portraits."