Ask Dr. Ruth

Name: Ask Dr. Ruth
Genre: Biography, Documentary
Released: May 10, 2019
Duration: 100 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Ari Einliger, Dahlia Salem, Helen Singer Kaplan, Joan Rivers, John Lollos

2019

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Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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7.8

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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Ask Dr. Ruth

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: May 10, 2019 | Not Rated

Starring: Ari Einliger, Dahlia Salem, Helen Singer Kaplan, Joan Rivers, John Lollos, Jonathan Capehart, Leora Einleger, Miriam Westheimer, Pierre Lehu, Ruth Westheimer, Skurte, Susan Brown, Walter Nothmann

Summary: Ask Dr. Ruth chronicles the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America's most famous sex therapist. With her diminutive frame, thick German accent, and uninhibited approach to sex therapy and education, Dr. Ruth transformed the conversation around sexuality. As she approaches her 90th birthday and showsAsk Dr. Ruth chronicles the incredible life of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a Holocaust survivor who became America's most famous sex therapist. With her diminutive frame, thick German accent, and uninhibited approach to sex therapy and education, Dr. Ruth transformed the conversation around sexuality. As she approaches her 90th birthday and shows no signs of slowing down, Dr. Ruth revisits her painful past and unlikely path to a career at the forefront of the sexual revolution. … Expand

Director: Ryan White

Genre(s): Biography, Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 100 min

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Critic Reviews

Josh Modell

Apr 29, 2019

As a documentary, Ask Dr. Ruth has it kind of easy: It’s got an enchanting subject eager to tell a fascinating story. Read full review

The Film Stage John Fink

May 4, 2019

Despite its spunky tone, Ask Dr. Ruth feels like several documentaries in one rather than a comprehensive look at a fascinating and enduring woman who shows no signs of slowing down. Thankfully, the film never feels as if it’s a work of branded content but rather an honest and intimate portrait of a revolutionary American cultural icon. Read full review

Peter Keough

Apr 29, 2019

[A] peripatetic and ultimately poignant documentary. Read full review

Zosia Bielski

May 15, 2019

Crucially, Ask Dr. Ruth shows us a renegade ahead of her time. Read full review

Andrew Crump

May 9, 2019

It’s her unstoppability, her tireless drive to see through the work she believes needs doing in the field of sexual enlightenment that gives Ask Dr. Ruth real urgency, lifting what’d be an otherwise breezy character portrait to near essential levels. Read full review

Peter Goldberg

Apr 29, 2019

At its best, the film is a testament to how Ruth Westheimer’s practiced decency was literally a saving grace during the Reagan era. Read full review

Amy Nicholson

Feb 7, 2019

The irony at the core of the Dr. Ruth persona is that the maverick who made the bedroom public is herself incredibly private, and while she encourages women to get intimate with their bodies, she’s not in touch with her own emotions. Still, she is vocal about respecting boundaries, and White acquiesces, trusting that the facts of Westheimer’s life say plenty about her peppy workaholism. Read full review

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saltydog99

Aug 5, 2019

Ask Dr Ruth is by far the best documentary of 2019 so far and without a doubt will be in contention for the best of 2019 overall. I had no idea who she was before this film and thanks to Ryan White the director I will never forget her. Dr Ruth has had a fascinating life and deserves all theAsk Dr Ruth is by far the best documentary of 2019 so far and without a doubt will be in contention for the best of 2019 overall. I had no idea who she was before this film and thanks to Ryan White the director I will never forget her. Dr Ruth has had a fascinating life and deserves all the praise in the world for what she has survived. Looking beyond the subject material though, this documentary is near perfectly put together. The way White crafts Ruths story flows seamlessly and you as the viewer get to know Ruth and her family in detail. My one complaint is the animated segments. I was pulled out from the story and would have liked to have seen Ruths face as she told the gripping and horrific tales she has experienced, I feel I would have empathized more. I know this is a Hulu film and I am not sure if it got a theatrical release anywhere, but this has got to be considered for oscars.… Expand

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GrantD243

Sep 9, 2019

This was a very nice surprise in what continues to be a year of solid documentaries. I was expecting this to be a simple, but humorous, documentary about Dr. Ruth's time as a sex therapist. And a small portion of the film is like that, but the majority of the film is spent on the story ofThis was a very nice surprise in what continues to be a year of solid documentaries. I was expecting this to be a simple, but humorous, documentary about Dr. Ruth's time as a sex therapist. And a small portion of the film is like that, but the majority of the film is spent on the story of her life as a whole, which began with her escaping from the Holocaust at a young age. It's well worth the watch.… Expand

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