Citizen Ruth

Starring:Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kelly Preston, M.C. Gainey, Kenneth Mars, David Graf, Kathleen Noone, Tippi Hedren, Burt Reynolds, Lance Rome, Jim Kalal, Shea Degan, Vince Morelli, Marilyn Tipp, Lois Nemec, Tim Vandeberghe, Sebastian Anzaldo III, Alicia Witt
Director: Alexander Payne
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Customer Reviews:

A Tight Little Story.......2006-11-06

It's Hitchcock like in it's presentation that admits you into a very short segment of our hero's life, but one momentous enough to change his life forever. I also like being fooled by the story teller into reaching for the wrong conclusions before all is finally made known to me. A good yarn, as Mark Twain might say. William Bendix does a great job of sustaining the suspense throughout the film.

"The murderer should get a prize.".......2006-08-27

In the film "Cover-Up" insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe) travels to the small town of Junction City to wrap up the details on a suicide case. The dead man, Roger Phillips, had a $20,000 policy that included a double indemnity clause if the insured man was murdered. As Donovan gets off the train, he befriends local girl Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton), who's returning home from the city to spend Xmas with her family. While he'd like to get to know her better, Donovan expects to wrap the case up and leave town within the day. Donovan, however, meets a wall of silence and resistance that begins with the sheriff, Larry Best (William Bendix). It seems that Phillips was widely disliked, and the town's residents are relieved he's dead.

With the murder weapon missing, and no powder burns on the dead man's fingers, it doesn't take Donovan long to conclude that Phillips was murdered. The town's inhabitants resist the idea that there's a murderer amongst them, and the beneficiary of the life insurance--Phillips's niece--practically begs Donovan to rule the death a suicide--even though she stands to double her money if her uncle was murdered. Donovan remains in town to continue his investigation and rapidly becomes involved with Anita Weatherby.

"Cover-Up", directed by Albert E. Green is a decent little film, and its portrayal of the close-knit small town community is well done. The main problem with the film is that Phillips--although he's already dead by the time the film begins--is a major character. The plot revolves around his death, a motive for murder, and also why the entire town would collaborate in hushing the crime up. When a main character never appears or has a delayed appearance on screen, yet his or her personality is crucial to the credibility of the plot, then the absent character's personality must be made clear through reminiscences (take the superb film noir title "Laura" for instance). In "Cover-Up" everyone says that Phillips was a horrible person, but there is really no concrete evidence--except for one quarrel with a niece. This lack of evidence of Phillips's cruelty weakens the plot. Fans of 40s films should enjoy this title, however, and the dynamic between Donovan and the sheriff Larry Best is interesting. As an aside--the scene depicted on the DVD cover does not appear anywhere in "Cover-Up" 3 1/2 stars--displacedhuman

My Kind of movie!!!.......2006-03-14

I really enjoyed this flick. Had me guessing all the way. This film is very enjoyable...with just enough suspense and twists to keep you enthralled, while giving you a wonderful picture of 1940 small town America...complete with old homes, good manners and old fashioned Christmas tress. If you love good old movies that you can really enjoy and that leave you with a good feeling when they're through...buy this movie and you won't be sorry?

Not Film Noir.......2006-01-18

You may be disappointed with this film if you are expecting classic American film noir. It's more of a 1940s version of Matlock or Murder, She Wrote. As others have pointed ot, the cover has nothing to do with this film. The cover scene leads one to believe it's film noir (the title certainly suggests the genre) and my guess is that it was done on purpose to mislead for sales purposes. Considering the cost, I felt that I had my money's worth. The picture is clear (though not a restored print) and the film itself is entertaining. William Bendix is never bad performance wise. To me, he's one of the most likeable character actors the American cinema ever produced. If you see this film, I'm sure you'll be entertained. If you don't see it, you'll not have missed anything in my view.

A Sweet-Natured, Friendly Murder Mystery In A Small Town.......2006-01-13

Can a murder mystery be sweet-natured? Yes, when it's Cover-Up, a well-crafted B movie programer put together by experienced pros.

Insurance investigator Sam Donovan (Dennis O'Keefe, who co-wrote the script) arrives in a small town a few days before Christmas to look into the apparent suicide of an intensely disliked resident. The man has left a $20,000 insurance policy with a double indemnity clause. Sam points out to Sheriff Larry Best (William Bendix) that if murder happened the policy will pay $40,000. The sheriff is friendly but unhelpful. "Look, Sam," he says, "take my advice. Don't be so all fired anxious to pay double indemnity on this case. Why don't you forget about it? Go on home."

The sheriff says it was suicide, but there was no gun by the corpse, no powder burns and, at first, he denies a bullet was even found. Sam starts poking around, but everyone says it had to be suicide even though any number of the townspeople had motive. The dead man, the sheriff says, "was a blight on the whole community." Sam meets Anita Weatherby (Barbara Britton), the daughter of the town's banker. They start to get serious, but she wants him to stop looking, especially when her father might be involved. Sam, however, doesn't like murder and keeps pushing the case. He finally sets a clever trap, figures out the identity of the murderer...and has to make a tough decision. Let's just say the movie takes place over Christmas and Sam makes the right decision.

This is a well-crafted look at a friendly small town. Main Street has two-story brick shops with the bus depot on the corner. The houses have wide porches and picket fences in front. People don't lock their front doors. The big event will soon be the lighting of the community Christmas tree in the town square, with everyone bundled up in scarves and coats and there'll be presents for all the kids. Don't fool yourself, though. There are plenty of suspects.

The actors, especially William Bendix and Dennis O'Keefe, do fine jobs. Bendix gives Sheriff Best just enough complexity that you're never sure what his game is, or whether he's just being friendly or something more sinister. O'Keefe plays the big city investigator with a nice mixture of toughness and puzzlement. He wants to catch the murderer, but he's come to like many of the people, including the banker's daughter, and he's increasingly reluctant to hurt anyone. Dora Merande, one of Hollywood's great character actresses, does a memorable job as the Weatherby's astringent but caring maid.

And as to that last decision Sam must make when he's discovered the murderer? He has to take a moment or two to think about things. "Like the sheriff is so fond of saying," he finally tells those with him in the murderer's living room, "I'm not much of a detective."

To avoid confusion, remember that the photo on the DVD cover has no connection to the movie. For some reason, someone pulled a scene from a completely different film to use. The DVD is bare bones. While there are chapter stops, there is no menu and no extras. The picture and audio are better than I would have expected. The movie is easy to watch if you're not a perfectionist.

Average customer rating:

Get the message
What a disappointment!
Dark and Hysterical
Brilliant satire
Heavy-handed, Predictable, and Not Funny

Citizen Ruth
Starring: Laura Dern , Swoosie Kurtz , Kurtwood Smith , Mary Kay Place , and Kelly Preston
Director: Alexander Payne
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Election
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ASIN: B00007K028
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Amazon.com

An uneven script is the flaw of this social satire set in America's heartland. It deals with an unrepentant junkie, played with unexpected finesse by Laura Dern. Pregnant for the umpteenth time and informed by a judge he may overlook felony charges if she aborts the pregnancy, the stoned Ruth Stoops is claimed as a dazed spokesperson by both sides of the controversial abortion issue. This has a lot to say about the abuse and influence of the media The black, black humor is subtle and intelligent and quite often works in the hands of the strong supporting cast. However, the script occasionally lurches into depressing territory, throwing off the balance. Still, this raises interesting issues and Dern's performance is very powerful. Ruth is flawed and prickly, but Dern brings her to life by imbuing her with interesting personality tics. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Description

Meet Ruth Stoops. She's homeless, dumb as a cinder block, and loves to get high huffing spray paint. Life would be dandy if it weren't for one tiny problem -- she's gotten herself knocked up for the umpteenth time, and it seems like everybody's got an opinion about what she should do -- from an angry judge to God-fearing Baby-Savers to radical lesbian feminists. And Ruth just wants to party! Laura Dern stars in an award-winning bravura performance backed by a stellar ensemble cast including Burt Reynolds, Mary Kay Place, Swoosie Kurtz, Kelly Preston, Kurtwood Smith, and Tippi Hedren. Written and directed by the team who brought you ELECTION and ABOUT SCHMIDT, CITIZEN RUTH is a hilarious, provocative look at what happens when a sperm meets an egg and sparks fly.

Customer Reviews:

Get the message.......2007-06-08

If you enjoy dark humor, political satire, and the movie "Election" (Is that redundant); then I highly recommend this gem of a movie. The movie is dated; but the subject matter is just as important, meaningful, and funny today!

What a disappointment!.......2007-02-14

I knew the subject matter was a bit edgy, but when the accolades on the DVD case say "one of the funniest movies in years" I expected at least a few smiles. I expected dark humor. I expected cutting satire.

Instead, it is one of the most irritating, tedious films possible. The characters are either trivialized or stereotyped and all so pathetically portrayed as to make you not care who wins the battle for Ruth's fetus.

Laura Dern gives a great performance as the damaged Ruth but just as you begin to care what happens to her ... the movie ends.

Final word? Don't bother.

Dark and Hysterical.......2007-01-04

I enjoyed this movie moderately while watching it. However, it was later while reflecting upon the movie that I realized how much I truly liked it.

Laura Dern does an amazing job. Ruth lacks a single redeeming quality and is one of the most unlikeable characters I have ever experienced. And although I tend to value the talents of actors towards the bottom of the ladder in the context of true talents or contribution to society, even I can recognize it takes a great actor to pull off what she did. Dern's performance is truly exceptional.

This movie is also really funny in a totally messed up way. When the Babysavers recruit Ruth's mother to their side and she asks Ruth, via bullhorn, what if she (Ruth's mother) had aborted her (Ruth)- Ruth's response is the most disturbingly funny thing I have ever heard (and totally inappropriate to repeat here).

The movie very deliberatly skewers both sides. However, I think the prolifers definitely get it worse - which is fine by me as I think they deserve it ;) But I can see why some prolifers may have their backs up against the wall after seeing this movie. The message of the movie is that the individual woman is ultimately lost and not valued in the context of this national debate. Which implicitly tends to support the underlying thrust of the pro-choice movement in my opinion (since ultimately society doesn't care about these women, and won't help them in the long run, they should be empowered to make their own choices). Therefore, I think it is fairly obvious that the moviemakers are pro-choice and that they may have failed in their efforts to appear neutral.

Another interesting aspect is that both sides are well-meaning in a way but Ruth is totally undeserving of the attention and support of either side. So although you are supposed to resent the extremists on both sides for using Ruth, you also have to contend with the fact that Ruth is totally unsympathetic. It is a totally unique and interesting set of circumstances.

I would recommend this movie to anyone able to recognize that absurdity and humor are inherent even in the darkest and most confusing aspects of life. (Maybe that is what helps get us through it all in the end?)

Brilliant satire.......2006-07-11

"Citizen Ruth" is an absolute gem, a brilliant satire of the abortion debate - an easy task to screw up and a very difficult one to pull off. It pulls it off with laughs, heart, and one of the most perfect final scenes I've ever seen.

Heavy-handed, Predictable, and Not Funny.......2006-04-10

I did not much enjoy this film, and I didn't find it very clever or funny.

It's true, as other amazon reviewers have noted, that Citizen Ruth stereotypes both sides of the abortion issue. Does that make it an intelligent and even-handed comic treatment of a complex topic? No, indeed.

Along the way, it also stereotypes poor people, middle class people, teenagers, drug addicts, Christians, and Vietnam veterans. That doesn't make it funny, though, because the satire is so heavy-handed and predictable. Simply tackling an important social topic, like abortion, isn't going to give a film the heft to generate either drama or humor. In my opinion, the film's pretentious take on a big issue just makes it creepy. There were too many close-ups of earnest, wide-pored, and angry faces. And Burt Reynolds as the national leader of the anti-abortion crowd was just peculiar. What was he doing in this film? And what are we supposed to make of his relationship with the young Eric?

Laura Dern is a talented actress, and she does a creditable job with this part -- which because it straddles genres was a challenging one. But her talent couldn't redeem this film for me.

Average customer rating:

Before you buy
Now you have the whole story
A Good but overall disappointing documentary
A classic documentary of a classic film.

The Battle over Citizen Kane
Starring: Nancy Loe , Frank Mankiewicz , David Nasaw , Lon Etta Santucci , and John Tebbel
Director: Thomas Lennon (II) , and Michael Epstein
Manufacturer: Wgbh Boston
ProductGroup: DVD
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Citizen Kane
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ASIN: B0000507OD
Release Date: 2000-11-14

Amazon.com

Young Orson Welles had the world on a string in 1940. The wunderkind of radio, stage, and screen had already created a national stir with his all-black postmodern production of Othello and the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast. With Citizen Kane, he set his sights on one of the most powerful men in America: William Randolph Hearst. Little did he realize the consequences that his film would bring about. Hearst had staggering amounts of money and influence that he could bring to bear on Welles and RKO Studios. Particularly offensive to the newspaper tycoon was Welles's portrayal of his longtime paramour, Marion Davies; Citizen Kane showed the actress as a talentless numbskull and a lush, and painted their relationship in unflattering terms. Hearst offered huge sums of money to buy the negative of Kane so that he could burn it; when the studio released the film anyway, he pulled RKO advertising from all Hearst newspapers. With gossip columnist Louella Parsons as his attack dog, he threatened to publicize all sorts of suppressed scandals from over the years, and hinted that "the American public won't be happy to know the number of Jews in the movie industry."

The collision between the 19th-century Hearst and the modern genius and upstart Welles proved to be disastrous to both men for both their names and their careers. Not until years later did Kane receive its due as one of the greatest films ever produced, vindicating itself and Welles both. This documentary provides rare insights into the lives and legacies of Welles and Hearst, carefully framing the debate over the film in the context of the times. Commentary by directors Peter Bogdanovich and Robert Wise (who served as editor for Kane) as well as the son of screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz helps bring home the controversy as it applied to the world of Hollywood. --Jerry Renshaw

Customer Reviews:

Before you buy.......2005-10-12

Isn't The Battle Over Citizen Kane included in the 2-disc Citizen Kane? If I'm right, why buy the doc when you get it with the movie? Sorry, but I saw Kane and Battle were paired as recommended package deal. That makes no sense to me.

Now you have the whole story.......2003-01-08

I've seen "Citizen Kane" dozens of times over the years, and had a general idea of who the film was really about (Hearst) and the controversy it created. After watching "The Battle Over Citizen Kane," however, I now feel that I have a much better understanding not only of the movie itself, but the full story of the two men locked in battle over it---Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst.

This documentary provides a generous amount of personal information about both men, and comments from experts in relevant fields (Hearst biographers, etc.) as well as people who knew Welles personally. If you're a fan of "Citizen Kane," this companion piece is not to be missed.

A Good but overall disappointing documentary.......2001-10-16

I watched this documentary as part of the Citizen Kane DVD. It is good, telling about the power struggle between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst. I also never knew before just how much Welles and Herman J. Mankewickz borrowed from Hearst's life when they wrote the Citizen Kane screenplay. But though it was supposed to be about Citizen Kane, the documentary didn't tell that much about the film itself. It was also rather slow and repetitive. How many times do I need to know that Hearst was a powerful man or that Welles was a young genius? I wanted to learn more about the movie itself. The extras were also nil, there being only a chapter selection and ads for other documentaries...

A classic documentary of a classic film........2000-10-11

This documentary is more than just a rendition of the controversy surrounding "Citizen Kane," it is a pair of parallel biographies of the two men. (Everyone knows about the "War of the Worlds" broadcast, but how many know about his successes on stage--"Julius Caesar" on Broadway commenting darkly on the rise of fascism, or "MacBeth" set in Haiti with an all-black cast.) In the end, it poses the question of whether "Kane" is after all, as much about Welles as it is about Hearst.

Time and time again Welles tempts fate, risking disaster to create masterpieces. Star of stage and radio, film with its limitless possibilities (and Hollywood with its machinations) prove his undoing.

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Get the message.......2007-06-08

What a disappointment!.......2007-02-14

Dark and Hysterical.......2007-01-04

Brilliant satire.......2006-07-11

Heavy-handed, Predictable, and Not Funny.......2006-04-10

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