IMDb user comments for
Ruby in Paradise (1993)

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26 comments in total

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11 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
A quiet, simple moving film, 26 July 2002

Author: (galapagos1809@yahoo.com) from Austin, Texas

I cannot begin to describe how amazing this movie is. Suffice it to say, anytime I'm depressed about how unfair or futile things seem, this is the movie I go rent to put me in the right frame of mind. The background music makes you realize the easiness of existence and how simplicity provides for the greatest happiness. The Indian girl that sings is but one example of a character in this film who does not try hard, and is happy as a result. Persifina, the laundry co-worker of Ruby's (Ashley Judd) is another=-her eyes and smile could make the hardest person's day. I watch this movie and I dream of better days to come or of a good conversation with friends, and I realize that being alone--Ruby is alone quite often--isn't the same as being lonely. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a thoughtful lull of a movie.

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10 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Interesting, slice-of-life indie film, 22 April 2005

Author: Laurel (Laurel962@worldnetoh.com) from Cleveland Heights

Very slow-paced, but intricately structured and ultimately very touching. A nice, very true-to-life look at a small Florida beach town in the dead of winter -- I've been there, and this is absolutely accurate.

It's also the debut feature of actress Ashley Judd, and she makes a big impression here. It's hard to believe this film is 12 years old -- I remember seeing it in theaters, and I recently rented "Ruby" again. Except for the 80's looking clothes, it has held up very nicely. Ashely is so radiant and touching here, that it's hard to think of her subsequent career without wincing. Boy, talk about failing to fulfill your early promise! Anyone seeing Ashley here in "Ruby In Paradise" would assume this elegant, natural beauty went on to all kinds of interesting art films and serious acting -- instead she has become the "go to" girl for dumb action films and slasher movies! Very disappointing, but at least we have this lovely performance preserved to showcase her early promise.

As some other commenter's say, this is not for everyone as it's very slow paced. This is not an action film, nor is it really a romance. The director (Victor Nunez, "Ulees Gold", another excellent character study) treats this ordinary young woman's life with deep respect, allowing her story to build slowly and with a lot of detail. In that way, I think this is one of the most moving and respectful coming-of-age stories about young women that I can recall -- it's not about Ruby's sexual awakening or "how she lost her virginity", but about her life choices and her growing maturity.

A lovely film, if you take the time to watch it...I think it would be a really excellent film to show teens and young girls (or boys for that matter) and give them a chance to think about and discuss it.

Particular kudos to director Nunez, who also wrote the script, which is so realistic and nicely detailed that I assumed all through the movie that it was based on a female-written novel or memoir, but in fact it's Mr. Nunez's original work. Rated 8 out of 10.

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9 out of 15 people found the following comment useful :-
Great Life Affirming Film, 26 February 2004
Author: saustinman from Austin, Tx

I remember 1993 as a year of great female performances. You had Angela Bassetts striking interpretation as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do With It; Debra Winger as the dying American Joy Gresham in Shadowlands; Winona Ryder manipulative as May Welland in The Age of Innocence; and the silent power in Holly Hunters performance in The Piano. But as great as these performances were, no performance was better than Ashley Judds, Ruby Lee Gissing in Ruby In Paradise.

What a GREAT film.

There are scenes in this film that ring a sense of truth to what we say and act on, in human nature, as "real" people and not of what Hollywood synthesizes the fake emotions of what human nature should be like. Take for example in the scenes where Ruby trying to be employed and make an existence for herself; trying to work for living. If this was a big Hollywood studio film, her character would be receiving monthly support payments from God. Ashley Judd, and director Victor Nunez, do a great dance of allowing the character to make choices that are truthful and not false.

Other film recommendations on similar themes see Erick Zonka's Dreamlife of Angels.

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8 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
The Best Coming-Of-Age Movie I Have Ever Seen !, 14 September 2003

Author: RockGrey from Canada

This was the first movie I ever saw Ashley Judd in and the first film of Victor Nunez' that I ever say, and boy am I glad I did. Its' quiet tone, its' relaxed pace, its' realistic depiction of a young woman just starting out in life, its' fine depiction of the struggles she has to go through to make her mark in life, the decisions she makes based on real things, the people she meets - there is nothing wrong with this movie. It is as close to movie magic as I have ever seen outside of the " Star Wars " movies, and, given what those films are like, that means this film deserves a high rating indeed. Ashley Judds' acting, Mr. Nunez'writing, and its' great simple worthwhile story make this a fine coming-of-age story and a wonderful movie.

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5 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Artful coming-of-age story starring Ashley Judd, by the director of "Ulee's Gold", 6 January 2007

Author: from United States

"Ruby in Paradise" is a beautiful, coming-of-age story about a young woman, Ruby Lee Gissing, escaping her stifling roots to become herself. Although the title character is played artfully by the gorgeous Ashley Judd -- in likely her first movie role, albeit one to be quite proud of -- the emphasis is not upon becoming "somebody," a la the next Madonna (whether Jesus' mother or the lurid, attention-hungry singer).

It instead emphasizes following ones' instincts and being somewhat introspective about them, to grow into one's ideal, adult self. NOTE: This isn't an action movie!!! It uses an occasional voice-over narration (by Ms. Judd) while writing in her journal -- and oh, I see I've just lost the male half of the readers out there. But be patient with this beautiful movie, where we learn that one's bliss can be discovered in -- oh, I dunno, carrying water and chopping wood.

Actor/director/writer Todd Field, who played Nick Nightingale in "Eyes Wide Shut," co-stars as Ruby Lee's noble love interest, one who helps her heal her idea of relationships implanted from youth.

But not even his character is the answer for Ruby Lee: There's no external hero imposed upon her. The ultimate message is that we are responsible for ourselves. Writer/director Victor Nunez, who also wrote/directed "Ulee's Gold," did an amazing job showing a young woman growing into herself -- confronting age-old challenges of good v. evil along the way.

The supporting cast is also stellar, and the music used, particularly the cuts by chanteuse Sam Phillips (whom I hear is the wife of T. Bone Burnett), is right on -- most especially "Trying to Hold on to the Earth." Now, when I hear the first few chords of that song, tears spring to my eyes, Pavlovian and unbidden -- not sure if it's the music, or the indelible connection to the movie's quiet, charming message of empowerment.

This movie is highly recommended for any young person trying to find his/her way. For any woman of any age, it is a must see! The downside: It is NOT on DVD, except in Spanish. (We learned, however, that it is legal to make one copy of a VHS version, which can be readily found online. My beloved husband found someone with a VHS copy and got a DVD copy made for me.) Although this treasure of a movie occasionally pops up on-air – on an indie channel, usually – you can't count on that when you might need it most as a tonic to soothe the pressures of the world. So buy a copy for yourself.

This movie should have a major re-release, and it would, if I were Queen of Hollywood.

-- Figgy Jones

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Panama City in the winter., 28 May 2008

Author: bkblpp from United States

This will be a different kind of review. I've seen this movie twice on TV and would like to have a copy because it talks about Panama City and the beach in the winter time which is my favorite time to be there. It was the first movie I'd seen by Ashley Judd and she was great and I've enjoyed every other thing I've seen her in. Sundance's reaction made an impression on me too, as did the director, Victor Nunez, who has directed and written several movies about Florida. This movie speaks to me and I've seen nothing with which to compare it. The plot speaks less to me than the surroundings. Well, I told you it would be a different kind of review.

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5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Not for everyone, 31 December 2004

Author: howie73

Victor Nunez imbues this unsentimental tale of a young woman's emotional journey with a sense of poetry seldom seen in cinema. By poetry I mean the sense in which the literary and the cinematic come into play. There is something very literary about the film, almost as if a novel has been adapted page by page to screen. In this sense, the film achieves depths many cannot; but it is also rather slow at other times, undercutting the depths it once achieved in favor of ennui. The film's star Ashley Judd has not yet made a better film than her debut here. She fits the role of lead Ruby like a glove, almost as if she didn't have to act. She has true movie star presence in the film, and hasn't really managed to convey the same allure in her later films, although she was impressive in Normal Life.

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5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Unexpected Diamond, 30 May 2001

Author: Blaine from Parker Arizona

My brother brought this movie home from the rental store and I remember expecting it to be such a bore. I think the title especially put me off. I can't ever remember starting a movie with such low expectations and being so completely won over. I watched the movie twice before I let my brother take it back to the store. It is very infrequent that a movie speaks to me the way this one did. I was completely caught up in Ruby's situation as she tries to make her way through her life. The bad thing about this movie is that it seems to end so quickly. I could have kept watching for hours. Another downside is that I have been unsatisfied with everything Ashley Judd has done since. She is so perfect in this movie. This film is easily in my top ten favorites of all time.

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5 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
And what a woman she is..., 2 September 2000
Author: Rupert-17 from Sydney, Australia

Ruby Gissing is a twenty-something young woman who makes her escape from what we assume is an unfulfilling existence in small-town Tennessee. As a child she holidayed once in Panmana City Beach, Florida, and from that time has dreamt of that idyllic experience, and longed to translate those childhood memories into her contemporary adult life. It's obvious from the moment she arrives that PC is no paradise but just another seedy beachside resort of souvenir shops and sleazy topless bars. Kids have a tendency to see the good side of everything. But Ruby has made a commitment to a new life and sets about establishing some sort of meaningful life in her own brand of ‘paradise'. And what a woman Ruby is. She's prepared to give life a go and chance her arm. Sure, she occasionally does foolish things but she's no fool and she learns from her mistakes. Ruby's journey is a rocky one at times and when the film reaches its conclusion the journey is nowhere near over, but you get the impression that Ruby has turned the corner and taken control of her own life. Ruby in Paradise is a meditation on one woman's path to self-realization. It's the story of a woman and not just a woman's film. Ashley Judd's performance as Ruby is very understated but from that restraint emerges a tremendously powerful characterisation. She gets into the role of Ruby and makes her a believable person, not some Hollywood creation. This is her best performance and should have established her a star in the first rank. But it takes more than just talent to get ahead in this world. Although the recent Double Jeopardy will no doubt bring Judd more fame and better parts, she'll not play a more complex and rewarding role than Ruby Gissing. By IMDb's system of rating, 9 out of 10.

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10 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Overly Feminist Agenda, 17 November 2006

Author: ccthemovieman-1 from Lockport, NY, United States

Ashley Judd, in an early role and I think her first starring role, shows her real-life rebellious nature in this slow-moving feminist soap opera. Wow, is this a vehicle for political correctness and extreme Liberalism or what?

Being a staunch feminist in real life, she must have cherished this script. No wonder Left Wing critic Roger Ebert loved this movie; it's right up his political alley, too.

Unlike the reviewers here, I am glad Judd elevated herself from this moronic fluff to better roles in movies that entertained, not preached the heavy-handed Liberal agenda.

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