Citizen RuthMovie Reviews

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Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 90
    The New York Times | Elvis Mitchell

    A hilariously brazen comedy whose heroine is an improbable hoot. Read full review

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    Is it really possible to make a comedy about abortion? Alexander Payne, who cowrote and directed this mischievous bit of sociological screwball, has brought it off. Read full review

  • 80
    The Onion A.V. Club | Keith Phipps

    A deft, three-dimensional performance from Dern, playing an almost entirely unlikable character, aids incalculably in exposing what happens when political factions lose touch with the realities of the issues for which they claim to provide answers. Read full review

  • 80
    Washington Post |

    Brave, funny and thoroughly irreverent. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    Along the way, this funny picture does exactly what a satire should: It irritates everybody. At least it runs that risk. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    A satire with the reckless courage to take on both sides in the abortion debate. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Mike Clark

    An equitably rude comedy about abortion, brazen by definition but also fairly droll. It's probably too schematic to reward more than a single viewing, but as a provocative one-time surprise it may become a specialized sleeper. [13 December 1996, p.4D] Read full review

  • 60
    Salon.com |

    Citizen Ruth takes such pains not to take sides that it doesn't have any fun. Each faction gets the same amount of screen time, yells at the same volume, is equally unpleasant. Read full review

  • 60
    Los Angeles Times | Kevin Thomas

    Payne cops out, and the result is off-putting, despite a sparkling cast headed by a fearless Laura Dern in the title role. Read full review

  • 30
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    The film degenerates into an overly simplistic satire -- with moon-worshiping, Guatemala-visiting, lesbian aborters on one side, and fetally obsessive, meat-eating, gun-toting Jesus worshipers on the other. Read full review

Citizen Ruth Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

So-so 15 fan reviews

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