Citizen Ruth

Ruth Stoops is a drug-addicted drifter whose life has gone largely unnoticed, until a pregnancy and a criminal charge land her in court. A judge offers to drop the charges if she agrees to end the pregnancy, which sets off a competition over her future. Anti-abortion activists take her in, offering shelter and care, while supporters of abortion rights try to keep her from their grasp. Ruth drifts between the two camps, accepting help from whoever offers it, as her situation grows into a public spectacle driven by people with their own agendas.

Alexander Payne directed the film and wrote the screenplay with Jim Taylor. It was Payne's first feature as director, arriving before Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants and The Holdovers. Laura Dern plays Ruth; the cast also includes Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kelly Preston and M.C. Gainey, among 55 credited performers. Made on a budget of 3 million dollars and produced by Miramax and Independent Pictures, it runs 104 minutes.

On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 7 out of 10 from around 9,700 votes, while on TMDB it has 6.6 out of 10 from roughly 155 votes. A critics' rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 25 reviews sits close to the audience scores. The relatively high IMDb vote count next to the modest budget suggests the film has found a steady viewership over the years, while the smaller TMDB sample points to a narrower international following.