Editing Citizen Ruth (section)

{{Short description|1996 American film directed by Alexander Payne}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Citizen Ruth
| image = CitizenRuthPoster.jpg
| caption = Original film poster
| director = [[Alexander Payne]]
| producer = Cary Woods<br>[[Cathy Konrad]]<br>Andrew Stone<br>Michael Zimbrich
| writer = Alexander Payne<br>[[Jim Taylor (writer)|Jim Taylor]]
| starring = <!-- Per poster billing block--> {{Plainlist|
* [[Laura Dern]]
* [[Swoosie Kurtz]]
* [[Kelly Preston]]
* [[Burt Reynolds]]
* [[Kurtwood Smith]]
* [[Mary Kay Place]]
* [[M. C. Gainey]]
* [[Kenneth Mars]]
* [[Tippi Hedren]]
}}
| music = [[Rolfe Kent]]
| cinematography = [[James Glennon]]
| editing = [[Kevin Tent]]
| distributor = [[Miramax Films]]
| released = {{Film date|1996|1|24|Sundance|1996|12|13|United States}}
| runtime = 102 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget = $2 million<ref name="THR">{{cite news |last1=Gajewski |first1=Ryan |title=Hollywood Flashback: 25 Years Ago, 'Citizen Ruth' Sent Up the Abortion Debate |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/citizen-ruth-alexander-payne-abortion-laura-dern-1235180431/ |access-date=19 May 2023 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=July 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Wash">{{cite news |last1=Butler |first1=Bethonie |title=Once a satire of the abortion divide, 'Citizen Ruth' now has a 'devastating' relevance |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2022/08/18/citizen-ruth-abortion-roe-wade/ |access-date=19 May 2023 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 18, 2022}}</ref><br/><small>(estimated)</small>
| gross = $285,112<ref>{{cite web|title=Citizen Ruth (1996)|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=citizenruth.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]]|access-date=October 14, 2013}}</ref>
}}
'''''Citizen Ruth''''' is a 1996 American [[satire|satirical]] [[black comedy film]] directed by [[Alexander Payne]], in his [[List of directorial debuts|feature film directorial debut]], and starring [[Laura Dern]], [[Swoosie Kurtz]], [[Kelly Preston]], [[Burt Reynolds]], [[Kurtwood Smith]], [[Mary Kay Place]], [[Kenneth Mars]], and [[Tippi Hedren]]. The film follows a poor, drug-addled, irresponsible pregnant woman who unexpectedly attracts national attention from those involved in the [[abortion debate]]. The story was inspired by the 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.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kolata |first=Gina |date=1992-02-26 |title=Woman in Abortion Dispute Ends Her Pregnancy |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/26/us/woman-in-abortion-dispute-ends-her-pregnancy.html |access-date=2023-11-29 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> This film marked Kenneth Mars’ final theatrical film role.

The film premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in January 1996.<ref>{{cite web|title=Citizen Ruth (Meet Ruth Stoops)|url=http://history.sundance.org/films/1352/citizen_ruth_meet_ruth_stoops|work=[[Sundance Film Festival]]|publisher=[[Sundance Institute]]|access-date=October 14, 2013}}</ref> It later opened in limited release in the United States on December 13, 1996.