Wolff rating: FAIR
Plot summary: Pregnant indigent (and indignant) woman finds herself crossed up in the battle of anti-abortion and pro-choice forces, despite her lack of interest in either.
Biased, pithy comments: This is a much grimmer movie than the advertising would lead you to believe, and it is an unlikely combination of overblown rhetoric and quiet, absurd satire. I think I would have found it more bitterly funny if it were faster (the movie takes its time establishing the wreckage of Ruth's life) or its jokes more pointed. Oh, there are a few great moments---the ardently pro-life father holding off pushy lesbian protesters with a rifle, the ``moon sing'', and Kurtz's interesting transformations, but ultimately the movie seems to be littered with roads not taken (what kinds of sins is Norm guilty of in the past?) and plot threads left hanging (like, what's the deal with Gail Stoney's ``miracle baby?''). Dern herself is wonderfully unlikeable---a woman who, when left to her own devices and given a little money, immediately sets about to get high rather than understand the greater forces around her. For my political satire dollar, I'd have to take ``Wag the Dog'' as the clear winner; this movie doesn't quite work for a host of reasons. I'd look for the excellent ``Election'' as this director's next (and much better) work with the same feel.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Laura Dern, Swoosie Kurtz, Kurtwood Smith, Mary Kay Place, Kelly Preston.
Directed by: Alexander Payne