'Citizen' takes comic stance on moral issue

No contemporary moral issue has been most over-analyzed and argued over than the debate about abortion rights. Nor has any movie made a mockery of such a fanatical political argument as delightfully as director Alexander Payne's "Citizen Ruth."

REVIEW
	Citizen Ruth At Michigan Theater

Starring Laura Dern and a whole slew of familiar faces, such as Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kenneth Mars, Burt Reynolds, and Tippi Hedren, the film presents the two extremes of the pro-life/pro-choice battle. The main message conveyed isn't a decision as to which side is ultimately justified; instead, these activists are more concerned with winning their own battles than helping the actual victim.

This victim, Ruth Stoops (Dern), a homeless woman living on the streets of a small town in Nebraska, can't seem to get her life together. She is addicted to toxic fumes in cleaning supplies, glue or just about anything she can get her hands on. Besides being a druggie, she is also a prostitute and a non-mother of four children.

On one occasion she is sent to jail, and the judge, upon discovery that Ruth is pregnant, charges her with "reckless endangerment of her fetus" given her irresponsible ways, and advises that she take "necessary steps" to get rid of the child.

Just as the reality of abortion sinks in, Ruth is rescued by a conservative, good-Christian, pro-life couple who wish to transform her destitute life. Ruth, though crude, is intelligent enough to realize that Gail and Norm Stoney's (Place and Smith) only intentions are to coerce her into having the baby to set an example that pro-abortionists are indeed baby killers.

Disillusioned by the seemingly good folks, Ruth soon finds herself in the complete opposite environment - radical pro-choice activists. This time, her guardians are, stereotypically, lesbians, who pretend to be radical pro-lifers to dig up any information from the opposing side.

Meanwhile, Ruth's case is receiving national media coverage. The scene gets ugly when the pro-lifers offer a bribe: $15,000 reward to Ruth for keeping the baby. Ruth has her ideas plain and simple; the money will keep her out of jail and possibly into a new, better lifestyle. She doesn't care whether she has the baby or not.

Then a light bulb switches on in Ruth's head. She decides that nobody cares about what happens to her; all anyone cares about is which fanatical party will triumph and who will be left behind.

The tone of "Citizen Ruth" is what maintains its quick, steady pace. While there are some disturbing and even gruesome images of Dern and the consequences of her glue-sniffing addiction, the movie is completely, and surprisingly, comical. "Citizen Ruth" introduces a grave, serious matter, and then clearly becomes humorous after the audience's first few nervous and even guilt-feeling giggles.

Characters get right up close to Dern's face, an effective filming technique, satirizing their warped psychological attitudes and turning them into caricatures of their personalities.

Dern does a fine job in portraying a very volatile role. In one sense, she is an emotionally charged if not unstable person, and in another scene, she'll have a calm, curious countenance. When observing the radical protesters, her expression reads, "And I thought I had problems."

Burt Reynolds, on the other hand, felt slightly out of place, portraying the "pope" of pro-life preachers. His dark features contrast the stereotypical waspy look that should have been exaggerated.

No doubt to cause a stir among pro/anti-abortion activists, "Citizen Ruth" truthfully reveals how this moral issue has evolved into selfishness and fanaticism, placing the problems of the present day over that of the individual.

Laura Dern and Swoosie Kurtz star in "Citizen Ruth."

04-15-97