Special Coverage Entertainers of the Year'Twilight' CentralHoliday Gift GuideThe Must ListHoliday Movies
  • --

Credits

With: Laura Dern and Mary Kay Place

The prospect of a pitch-black comedy about an issue as ferociously divisive as abortion didn't exactly pack 'em in at the multiplex, but those who stayed away from Citizen Ruth missed last year's most audacious and hilarious movie. Guaranteed to offend virtually everybody, first-time director Alexander Payne's tale of a venal, selfish, illegal inhalant-sniffing pregnant woman (Laura Dern, above, never better) caught in a tug-of-war between pro-life and pro-choice advocates is somehow simultaneously sweet-natured and vicious, two parts Preston Sturges' bemused affection to one part Billy Wilder's cynical misanthropy. The mixture is corrosively funny and could inspire eated post-film debates. A


Sign up for EW.com's The 25 newsletter!

Stay in the know and get EW.com's top 5 stories, 5 days a week (sent weekday afternoons).
Posted Jun 20, 1997
  • Print
  • Del.icio.us
  • Google
  • StumbleUpon
  • Facebook
  • Digg
  • More
 

Add Your Comments

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. You must have javascript enabled to submit a comment.
--
Change/Edit your grade
characters remaining

Copyright © 2008 Entertainment Weekly and Time Inc. All rights reserved.