Shocking, Skillful Satire That Skewers Everyone!

Laura Dern scorches the screen in "Citizen Ruth" as Ruth Stoops, a tough, glue-sniffing drug addict who has just discovered that she's pregnant for the fifth time. Facing jail, she's advised by an exasperated judge to have an abortion.

That's when Mary Kay Place from the "Baby Savers" steps in, paying her bail and offering to shelter her for the duration. For unsuspecting Ruth, it's just the beginning of a series of chaotic twists and turns that will introduce her to fanaticism on both sides of one of the most divisive issues of our time - because Swoozie Kurtz appears from the feminist, pro-choice side, eager to "save" her as well. Suddenly, Ruth becomes a national symbol for these movements and discovers a very unwanted 15 minutes of fame.

Writer/director Alexander Payne pierces America's heartland with this hilarious, irreverent social satire, delivering an ironic commentary on our times. "This is not a film about abortion," Payne says. "Rather, it's an examination of extremism on both sides of any contentious issue and how polarized debate may, at times, cause us to lose insight of individuals."

Laura Dern is a wonder, seemingly oblivious to the "greater truth" of the right-wing religious zealots and the adamant left-wing pro-choicers. Her primary concern is to benefit financially from the chaos. Skeletal-thin and grungy, Dern gives a madly inspired performance, selfishly spilling over the edges of sanity en route to self-empowerment. The rest of the cast is superb, including Burt Reynolds as the sleazy anti-abortion leader. On the Granger Video Gauge of 1 to 10, "Citizen Ruth" is a controversial 8. It's a funny, shocking, skillful social satire that manages to skewer everyone and everything.