Citizen Ruth (1996) on Netflix
Ruth Stoops, an addict, is pregnant and faces felony charges. A judge offers a lighter sentence for an abortion; a couple bail her out and want her to keep the child.
- Netflix3.3/5
- IMDb7.0/109,844 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes80%
Trailer
Plot summary
Ruth Stoops is an addict in Nebraska who huffs glue and paint and will do nearly anything for money or drugs. The state has taken her four children from her custody. Arrested again for her drug use, she finds out she is pregnant, and at her arraignment she faces felony charges for endangering a fetus, unlike the misdemeanors of her earlier arrests. The judge tells her that having an abortion would shorten her sentence. Norm and Gail Stoney, radical Evangelicals, bail her out and take her into their home, pressing her to carry the baby to term.
Cast
- Lance Romeas Ricky, Ruth's Lover
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Citizen Ruth (1996)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Citizen Ruth was inspired by the real case of Martina Greywind, a homeless, unmarried mother from North Dakota who was offered $15,000 to carry what would have been her fifth child to term.
- Though it was well received at Sundance, Citizen Ruth was held back from theaters until December 13, 1996, reportedly because of controversy over the film Priest and condemnation from Catholic organizations in the United States.
- Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor said Miramax did not keep its promise to support Citizen Ruth and to campaign Dern for an Academy Award nomination, putting its efforts behind Sling Blade for that Oscars season instead.
- Citizen Ruth marked the final theatrical film role for the actor Kenneth Mars: it was the last time he appeared in a film released in cinemas.
